The Tamaqua Area School Board this week discussed the possibility of accepting some students from the Gillingham Charter School in Pottsville.

Board member Nicholas Boyle said he received about three phone calls from parents saying the school is shut down due to COVID and their kids are home.

Superintendent Ray Kinder said that they have not received any notification on this, and didn’t want to say too much without knowing what was going on.

He did say that the district was aware of issues regarding Gillingham’s facilities and a possible closure, and the Pottsville School District was dealing with this, Kinder said.

Some parents may also want to place their children back into the Tamaqua Area schools due to those issues, and Kinder said they would welcome them.

About 24 students from the Tamaqua area attend Gillingham, and the district sends funds covering their enrollment, Kinder said.

He did not see an issue with absorbing those students back into the district, should they chose to enroll. However, the closure seems to be temporary due to COVID, and not a permanent closure.

Other business

In other business, the board approved:

• Purchase of 20 gaming desktops and accessories at a cost of $14,600. Kinder clarified that these computers are not for gaming, but a web design class in the high school. These computers were budgeted for and are not covered by a grant, he said.

• Hiring Brian Delaney, of Pottsville, a full-time custodian, second shift at a rate of $11 an hour.

• Resignations of Candin Fox, high school special education teacher; Catherine Catizone, Tamaqua elementary learning support teacher; Frank D’Agostino, Tamaqua elementary vice principal.

• Revised retirement date for Marjorie McCormick, middle school language teacher, from Sept. 15 to Sept. 21.

• Hiring Cayle Spencer of Harvey’s Lake, as a special education teacher at a salary of $43,631, and Lauren Klevis of Frackville, also as a special education teacher at salary of $60,380.

• Sabbatical leave for the 2023-24 school year for Kailee Kelly for restoration of health.

• Policies regarding student homelessness, foster care and other educational instability, meetings, and records management.

• Homebound instruction for one elementary and two high school students.

• Early graduation for one eleventh-grade student, who has met all requirements.

• A letter of agreement between TASD and Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 Title I math and reading for nonpublic programs at a $7,168 per student, plus 11% administrative fee at these schools: Assumption BVM, Pottsville; St. Jerome Regional, Tamaqua, and St. Nicholas, Minersville.

• Title IIA nonpublic programs and services letter of agreement between TASD and Schuylkill IU starting Sept. 1, 2023, with a spending consideration of $16,078.

• A two-year agreement with Service Access and Management of Reading, starting Aug. 1, 2023.

• Bills totaling $1,233,345 and interim bills of $303,724.

• A blanket resolution allowing business administration to process payments for utilities, previously approved purchases, tuitions, leases, contracts, discounts and other routine items pending ratification at next meeting.

• A resolution to allow business administration to approve repository sales.

• Board members Larry Wittig and Thomas Bartasavage as voting delegates for Pennsylvania School Board Association Assembly.

• Wittig as a member of the AVTS board to replace board member Trina Schellhammer, who resigned.