In a relatively brief meeting, the Tamaqua Area school board was questioned on implementation of Policy 705, which allows school staff to be armed.

Karen Tharp, a West Penn Township resident and opponent of the policy, asked the board to name its insurance carrier and whether or not the carrier was paying for the district’s legal fees as it defends itself in the lawsuit filed by the teachers union. District business manager Connie Ligenza and board President Larry Wittig confirmed that the insurance company is covering those legal costs.

Tharp then followed up by asking if there was a limit to the number of lawsuits that the carrier would cover. Wittig replied that he was not certain but would get an answer to the question.

Lisa Behr of Andreas asked the board if anyone is currently armed on school premises. Wittig responded that the question was “inappropriate at this time.”

Board member and security committee Chairman Nick Boyle interjected by saying the board couldn’t answer that question because “it’s a security issue.” Behr protested, saying that the public had a right to know if there are any staff members armed on school property. Boyle then offered that police are patrolling school grounds, “so the answer to your question is yes.”

Megan McGeehan of Tamaqua then pressed the point that the question was regarding staff being armed, not about police presence. Wittig then ended the exchange by stating that no staff member had completed the training, implying that there are no staff members currently carrying weapons on school grounds.

Earlier during the meeting, Boyle read a list of initiatives the board and district have undertaken with regard to the security issue in response to public input.

In other business, the board approved contracting with Tremco Inc. to supervise the district’s roof repair project, capping the expenditures at $569,000. It also approved an agreement with Quandel Enterprises to supervise the Tamaqua Elementary school paving project for $150,000.

The board also approved the hiring of Kimberly Firkal of Tamaqua, as special education teacher at a salary of $62,040, and Amy Quick, also of Tamaqua, as full-time Administrative Assistant for Student Services at a salary of $28,500.

The board also declared Jan. 21 as an Act 80 Day.