Another month brings another retirement of a longtime Palmerton Area High School teacher.

Palmerton’s school board on Tuesday night accepted the retirement notice of business education teacher Thomas Smelas, effective at the end of the school year.

Director Audrey Larvey, who had Smelas as a student when she was a substitute teacher, said he’s been teaching 35 years and has been “the backbone of the high school’s business department.”

“Mr. Smelas has been a department chair for many years and has provided excellent leadership,” Larvey said. “He’s an outstanding accounting teacher and beyond that gave many years to the baseball program. We wish him well as he’s served the district for a long time and done a wonderful job.”

In addition to his time as a teacher and a coach, Smelas is also past president of the Palmerton Area Education Association and was one of the union’s top negotiators for many years.

“He’s the numbers guy and a strong union man and he’ll defend it with a passion,” Tammy Recker, board president, said of Smelas. “I really believe part of the reason our teachers are as strong as they are go back to those Tom Smelas and Doc (Tom) Gilligan days. I personally wish him well and look forward to seeing the many vacation videos he will have now with his extra time.”

Last month, Palmerton accepted the retirement of Carol Andrews, a physical education and health teacher at the high school. She has been with the district for 28 years.

In other official action Tuesday night, Palmerton Area School District’s board of directors approved the following items:

• Keystone Consulting Engineers to design specifications and bid the high school tennis court renovation project.

• Thyssen Krupp Elevator Corporation to update/replace the junior high school and S.S. Palmer Elementary elevator controls at a cost of $127,738.

• Bidding for the demolition of the Seventh Street field house.

• Hiring Adrian Miller as food service worker at a rate of $13.85 per hour.

• Hiring Brianna Keiser as substitute teacher at the daily rate of $110.

• Kimberly Nenscel to teach five hours a week of homebound instruction at the rate of $33 per hour through the end of the 2021-22 school year.

• Retirement of Thomas Smelas as high School Business Education Teacher effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

• Resignation of Cathy Laird as food service worker

• Contract with The Safeway Driving School Inc., for June 30, 2022, through June 30, 2025.

• The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 intergovernmental agreement for special education services for the 2022-23 school year.

• The legal services consultation agreement for special education services with Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP, for the 2022-23 school year in the amount of $7,500.

• The Trans-Bridge Lines Inc. acceptance agreement and the Trans-Bridge Lines coach/bus lease COVID-19 waiver for the junior high school National Honor Society field trip to Hersheypark on May 13, 2022, in the amount of $1,087.14. All costs paid through student fundraising.

• The catering reservation agreement with Hersheypark for the junior high school National Honor Society reservation on May 13, 2022.

• The disc jockey event services contract agreement with Lehigh Valley Events & Productions for the Class of 2022 Senior Prom on May 6, 2022, in the amount of $1,000.

• The lease agreement with LaRose’s Skating Rink for the junior high school student council skating party on April 26.