The Jim Thorpe School Board has agreed to hire two new teachers for the 2016-17 school year.

At a special meeting Monday night, the board approved the hiring of two new teachers at Jim Thorpe High School.The district still has two vacancies to fill before the beginning of the school year.Both teachers' salaries will be set at $44,100, per the district's contract with the Jim Thorpe Education Association.The board voted 8-0, with Dennis McGinley absent, to hire Joseph Oliver as a high school health and physical education teacher.The board voted 6-2 to hire Tonia Schaeffer as a high school business and computer science teacher. Glenn Confer and Gerald Strubinger voted against.Superintendent Brian Gasper said that splitting a teacher between the two departments is a natural fit because business and computer science classes complement each other in many ways."Some of the classes under the business umbrella are 21st century skills, all technology, using apps and things of that nature," Gasper said.Gasper said that the district plans to give students more opportunities to develop skills in computer science and other STEM-based fields in coming years. That includes a new class this year in the technology education department on engineering and design. Gasper said students and parents should expect changes in that department soon."We are hopeful to transform our technology education program into an award-winning program," Gasper said.