The start of the school year will bring with it a new assistant high school principal in Tamaqua Area School District.

Tamaqua’s school board unanimously hired Tara M. Bunchalk-Orefice to the position Tuesday night at a salary of $72,000.

Bunchalk-Orefice was most recently a Pleasant Valley Middle School teacher.

“We’re very pleased to have (Bunchalk-Orefice) come on board,” Tamaqua Superintendent Ray Kinder said following the meeting. “She has great ideas and has experience working with students in the past. We anticipate great work from her here in the district.”

She will succeed Ray Lenhart, whose resignation was also approved Tuesday after two years in the role. Lenhart accepted an elementary principal position in the East Stroudsburg Area School District.

“We appreciate Ray’s hard work and dedication and certainly wish him well in the future,” Kinder said.

Other Tamaqua hires approved Tuesday include Scott Schalles, elementary teacher, $40,623; Krysten Monteiro, part-time teacher; Sarah Geronimo, substitute teacher; Karen Henry, part-time teacher; Michele Griffin, part-time paraprofessional; and Kathleen Burkey, part-time paraprofessional.

Support contract

Tamaqua also reached a five-year pact Tuesday with its support staff, including custodians, secretaries, maintenance personnel and paraprofessionals.

The deal, taking the district through the 2022-23 school year, does feature pay increases, Kinder said.

Custodians will see increases of 50 cents per hour the first year, followed by 45 cents the middle two years, and 40 cents in the final two years.

Maintenance employees, secretaries and paraprofessionals will see an increase of 50 cents per hour the first two years, 47 cents the third year, and 45 cents the final two years.

Health benefits will remain the same, Kinder added.