A debate over charitable contributions ended Wednesday with Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors voting 8-1 accepting tissues from a local church and $300 pegged for a reading program from a food and beverage establishment.

Board member Dave Bradley, the lone no vote, challenged the appropriateness of accepting donations given the district’s strong financial position, particularly a donation of 154 boxes of tissues from Pastor Mike Coulson and People’s EC Church for the elementary center.

“Whereas we can graciously accept tissues from the People’s EC church, there’s probably more needy people than a school district with $21.7 million in the bank to donate tissues,” Bradley said. “I’d rather have them give it to people that are truly in need.”

The board also considered a $300 donation from Griff’s Ale House and Grill for the Title I reading program, which Bradley said raised policy concerns.

“We have a couple athletic programs and a couple other handbooks that restrict us from taking donations from alcohol related businesses,” Bradley said. “I don’t know if you want to affiliate accepting money from a bar and grill for a Title I reading program when we have $21.7 million in the bank.”

Gretchen Laviolette, LASD director of academic programs and technology, said the donation comes unsolicited because Griffs’ ownership is passionate about literacy education.

“One of the owners, or a spouse of the owners, is a former Title I teacher,” Laviolette said. “When she moved here, she just is very passionate about the Title program and just wants to contribute.”

Director Denise Hartley said individuals or businesses should feel free to donate to anyone they want to.

“That person has a right to make a donation to whom they feel is right,” Hartley said. “It may have been a Sunday School decision where little kids decided to collect tissues for the school. Does the school need it? Probably not. But it may make those kids feel good to bring in tissues to donate to the school. Why rain on that parade?”

The board on Wednesday also approved a $500 donation from Karissa and Pamela Hough for high school Science Olympiad.