A new accessible ramp will be constructed outside of the Tamaqua Area High School’s cafeteria.

The Tamaqua school board’s finance committee approved an $18,250 proposal for design services from AEM Architects to start the process.

At Tuesday’s workshop meeting, Tamaqua Superintendent Ray Kinder said the project will go out to bid, while the district has an additional $60,000 worth of grant money to put toward the total cost.

The project will be paid for with ESSER II funds. The emergency relief money, which was allocated to school districts across the state, can only be used for specific projects, and for a limited time only.

“It needs to be used for one-time expenditures,” said Kinder.

“Most school districts, it falls into the capital projects. Because of it (the ramp) being access to your building, and creating more access, in theory it helps with mitigation strategies, getting kids into buildings, and things like that. It helps with safety. It’s a very easy project - one that meets the criteria.”

Kinder hopes the ramp can be completed by the end of the school year.

“It’s our anticipation that we will actually save money on it,” Kinder added.

Other ESSER II funds have been spent on paying salaries and benefits of existing TASD staff.

The board should have quotes for additional projects utilizing ESSER II funds next month, which include gym-floor resurfacing, high school bleachers, stage curtain and auditorium lighting upgrades, vehicles, and middle-school phone system. These projects are planned to utilize COSTARS pricing.

“They’ve already been approved as a concept, in terms of what we want to use the ESSER funds for. Once we get down to the awarding of the COSTARS quotes, we will bring them individually to the board for them to approve,” Kinder added.

Other business

• The finance committee approved the appointment of Jeff Bowe, Esquire, of Bowe and Odorizzi Law LLC of Tamaqua, as the district’s solicitor at the same rate ($175 per hour) and retainer ($5,200).

• ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate) drills will be held in the near future. Kinder said letters will be sent home to inform parents. If a parent does not want their child to participate, Kinder said to let administration know.

“We also run these drills sometimes with just staff, and other times, in conjunction with students,” Kinder said.