A Coaldale native has been tabbed as the new director of facilities in the Palmerton Area School District.

The school board, on an 8-1 vote Tuesday, agreed to hire Joseph Faenza to the post, effective March 28, at a salary of $60,000. Director Carl Bieling was opposed.Faenza told the audience he has 18 years of experience in health care, where he served as facilities director, as well as a strong background in mechanical trades."I'm excited," Faenza said. "Palmerton is a great school district, and I've heard a lot of great things about it."Faenza said he's eager to get started."I'm excited about being a part of the team," he said. "Carol (Boyce) seems to be an excellent superintendent, and I'm looking forward to working with her."Resident Jonice Tracy asked why the board chose to raise the salary for the director of facilities position.Board President Barry Scherer said the salary was raised because there are "additional responsibilities, and we were looking for someone with more experience."Faenza was hired to fill the position - which has been vacant since December - when former director of facilities Dave Rodrigues resigned.Rodrigues was hired in August of 2008 at a salary of $45,000 under Act 93.Also on Tuesday, the board heard a presentation from several Towamensing Elementary teachers and students on an afterschool program.Third-grade instructor Deborah Hard and first-grade instructor Joyce Paulinho gathered with third grader Hanna Smith to discuss the program.Hard said the six-week program is offered to students twice a week for an hour-and-a-half a day.Paulinho said some of the skills the students learn pertain to Pennsylvania skills and anchors, problems and solutions, vocabulary, and fluency, among others."The afterschool reading program is fun," Hannah said. "We read many kinds of stories, and learn many reading skills."Fifth-grade instructor Joan Greene and sixth-grade instructor Diane Morgan then joined fifth-grader Nate Starrett to further discuss the program.Greene said the students use a star multiplication symbol as part of their lesson."The children gain confidence in math and in themselves," Greene said. "They gain and expand, and their grades are better."Morgan concurred with Greene's sentiment, and added that it's "reinforcement for them.""I think it was good; it definitely worked for me," Nate said. "It brought up my grade for me; I was happy."Scherer thanked the students and teachers for their presentation."We're always glad to see our students and faculty members, and to see what's going on in the classrooms," he said.In an unrelated matter, the board agreed to reject the bids it received for the Towamensing Elementary deck replacement project due to what the board termed numerous inconsistencies.Four companies submitted bids to the district for the project last week: Home Solutions ($15,307); Fourmen Construction ($18,900); L&K Construction Services, Inc. ($19,800); and Bill Ankis Company, Inc. ($33,163).In a related matter, the board, on a 7-2 vote, with directors Carol Dwyer and Tina Snyder opposed, agreed to readvertise bids for the deck replacement project.The board also approved the request to advertise for sealed bids for the Towamensing ADA ramp; high school/junior high oil tank removal; and SS Palmer emergency generator.In a related matter, the board also approved the PDE Form 3074 (a), Non-Reimbursable Work Subject to Bidding Requirements, for the Towamensing ADA ramp; high school senior high/junior high oil tank removal; and SS Palmer emergency generator.