Tamaqua Area School Board will be looking at new uniforms for the more than 150-strong Raiders Marching Band in a few years.

Superintendent Ray Kinder told the board that the last time the district purchased uniforms the cost was $75,000 in 2014.

Similar uniforms are now coming in around $135,000, he said. The district won’t be looking to make the purchase until 2027, but Kinder said he wanted the board to be aware as they move forward.

“I wanted to let you know, so that it’s not a shock when it comes to that,” he said.

The band typically gets 10 to 14 years out of a uniform, Kinder said.

Also in his report, Kinder noted that there is a nationwide class-action lawsuit regarding Google and Gmail accounts for a situation where information could have been accessed.

No students have been affected, he said, but parents can contact the school if anyone receives notifications regarding this suit.

Other actions

In other business, the board:

• Approved the following policies on second reading with no additional changes: educator misconduct; personal necessity leave; uncompensated leave; opening exercises/moment of silence/flag displays; maintaining professional adult/student boundaries; student discipline; pregnant/parenting/married students; hazing; bullying/cyberbullying; and dating violence.

• Approved an affiliation agreement with the University of Phoenix for student teaching opportunities.

• Authorized the business manager to participate in the Pennsylvania Education Joint Purchasing Council’s bid process for the 2025-26 school year for general, paper, art, maintenance, custodial, computer, food service, heating fuel and athletic supplies.

• Authorizing the business manager Connie Ligenza to participate in the E-rate program and execute agreements subject to future board ratification. The program supports the district’s internet and WAN, and other services and equipment at discounts of approximately 70%.

• Approved a resolution to not increase taxes beyond the established index for the 2025-26 budget cycle. The district’s index, including adjustment factor, is 5.6%. The district’s index of 5.6% translates to 2.52 mills, which generates about $812,000.

• Approved tuition rates for 2024-25 as $9,857.47, elementary; and $10,384.84, secondary.

Personnel

The board took these actions in personnel moves:

• Approved Pamela Sabath (Binder) of New Ringgold, and Grace Kenna of Jim Thorpe as substitute guest teachers.

• Reclassified Kayla Siegfried for part-time health room assistant to full-time certified school nurse at a salary of $45,048 for this school year.

• Granted professional status, or tenure, to Joseph Berezwick, Sarah Geronimo, Vanessa Gimbor, Autumn Pedron, Bailey Rotter, Briona Spotts, and Edward Titus, as of Oct. 15, 2024, for completing three years of successful teaching.

• Rescinded a motion from Sept. 17 approving Tracy Moyer of Tamaqua as a full-time paraprofessional.

• Granted intermittent leave under FMLA to Marsha Rodgers beginning about Nov. 12.

• Granted maternity leave to Bailey Rotter, anticipated to begin November 2024 with a return of February 2025.

• Approved Justin Hilliard of Plymouth and Linda Yanuzzi of Kelayres a part-time health room assistants at a rates of $22.87 and $25.41, respectively.