Northern Lehigh School Board on a 6-2 vote Monday approved a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the school district and the Northern Lehigh Educational Support Personnel Association.

Directors Gregory Williams, Lauren Ganser, Donald Dengler, Raymond Follweiler, Donna Kulp and board President Edward Hartman were in favor of the agreement. Directors Mathias Green and Lori Geronikos were opposed. Director Sandi Young was absent.Both Green and Geronikos expressed concerns with the agreement."I'm concerned about the wording," Geronikos said. "The maintenance staff deserves everything they get."In other business, the board:- Appointed Sally Kasztejna as High School Cook's Helper at a salary of $7.50 per hour, 5 1/2 hours per day, five days per week, effective Nov. 10, 2009, as per the 2005-09 Northern Lehigh Educational Support Personnel Association Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement, which notes the rate could change if the starting wage is adjusted with the new bargaining agreement. Kasztejna's 60-day probationary period will end on or about Jan. 8, 2010.- Authorized administration to contract with Infinity Business Group for the purpose of a federally automated recovery system to handle all non-sufficient fund checks.- Authorized administration to purchase a new Boomer 1030 tractor and front end blade attachment in the amount of $13,750 as per the state bid price. The item is part of the long-range equipment maintenance list.- Agreed to allow Mary Kay Williamson to attend the Eastern PA Special Education Administrator's Conference Oct. 28-30, 2009, at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pa, at a total approximate cost of $435 through the Director of Special Education Budget.- Agreed to allow Scott Gerould to attend the PSAHPERD 2009 Annual Convention Nov. 19-21 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Valley Forge, Pa, at a total approximate cost of $357.50 through the Project 720 Grant and/or Personal Expense.- Authorized proper officials to execute an agreement between the Northern Lehigh School District and the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21 to provide special education services for the 2009-10 school year.- Acknowledged teacher Christopher Jones has completed the requirements per the Collective Bargaining Agreement that would entitle her to a salary increase from Step 4B to Step 4B+24 for the 2009-10 school year.- Acknowledged that aides Gail Miller and Stephanie Stilwell have achieved Highly Qualified Status and have supplied proof of such status to the superintendent's office. Miller and Stilwell are entitled to a $1 per salary increase per the Memorandum of Understanding with the Educational Support Staff.- Acknowledged that aide Jody Remaley has achieved Highly Qualified Status and has supplied proof of such status to the superintendent's office. Remaley is entitled to a $1 per hour salary increase per the Memorandum of Understanding with the Educational Support Staff.- Approved the request of Donna Lobach-Berger, Slatington Elementary Personnel Care Assistant, to take an unpaid leave of absence beginning on Jan. 18, 2010. Upon the exhaustion of 12 weeks of unpaid leave, Lobach-Berger is requesting an additional 12 weeks in accordance to school board policy #539 Uncompensated Leave. Lobach-Berger is requesting these leaves in order to complete her student teaching obligations and receive her degree in elementary education. She anticipated her student teaching assignment will end approximately May 14, 2010.- Approved Chris Bennett, Robin Blocker, Sharon Boyesan, Jessica Engler, Rachel Hillegas, Julie Hummer, Lynne McGeehan, Barbara Rejician, John Rejician, Marlene Simock and Charles Uhler as unpaid volunteer aides in the Peters and Slatington Elementary schools for the 2009-10 school year. Boyesen, Engler, Hummer, and McGeehan are pending verification of clearances.- Approved Janice Altrichter as an unpaid volunteer aide in the Middle School for the 2009-10 school year.- Appointed Michael Mantz and Trevor Miller as assistant boys basketball coaches as cocurricular volunteers for the 2009-10 school year.- Appointed Renee Evans, Christopher Jones, Michael Lehtonen and Candice Saville as Substitute Secondary Detention Monitors for the senior high school for the 2009-10 school year. Work will be on an as-needed basis, and compensation will be at a salary of $20 per hour worked.- Approved as substitute teachers for the 2009-10 school year at the 2009-10 substitute teacher rates as approved on the Supplementary Personnel Salary Schedule Dawn Kemery, Elementary; James Larrison, All Subjects; Lynn Annis, Annette Benedetto, Erin Cox, Michael Dee, Jamie Farber, Dennis Fetter, Joseph Fruhman, Megan Heffelfinger, Amy Krall, Regina Lea, Roderick Lowe, Hannah Mulry, Theresa Oliveira, David Puckett, Gina Rotondo, Patricia Sottolano, Asimo Tsilikoudis, Randy Utsch, and Patrick Visconti as CLIU Guest Teachers. The appointments of Larrison and Puckett are pending verification of missing documents.- Approved as substitute cafeteria workers for the 2009-10 school year at the 2009-10 substitute rate as approved on the Supplementary Personnel Salary Schedule Claire Denko, pending verification of missing documents.- Authorized administration to advertise a Request for Proposal for Student Busing Transportation, effective July 1, 2010. The current contract with First Student expires on June 30, 2010.- Approved abatement/exoneration requests of per capita taxes, for the residents that fall within the guidelines, as presented.- Announced the school board reorganization meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 7, followed by the regular school board meeting at 7:30 p.m.- Announced the Policy/Education meeting has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14.