Palmerton Area School District’s board of directors agreed Tuesday night to take initial steps on two projects including a new district administration building and a secure entrance at the high school, while pumping the brakes on a relocation of sixth grade to the junior/senior high school campus.

The board voted 8-1 to authorize KCBA Architects to review designs for a more secure front entrance at the high school. The main concern, board members said, is the existing layout, which allows visitors to access multiple areas of the school before reaching the principal’s office.

“Our biggest issue is the distance between the front of the building and getting to the principal’s office,” Board President Earl Paules. “This should have been addressed a long time ago and that is what we’re going to try to do now.”

The board also authorized KCBA to proceed with the design and bid package for a district administration building to be constructed near the junior high gymnasium. KCBA’s fee, district officials said, is 7.5% of construction costs. Per a KCBA presentation earlier this year, that project is estimated to cost just under $5 million.

The proposed building is expected to free up space in the Parkside Education Center, where administration is currently located on the third floor, but some board members questioned whether the design was sufficient.

“I think it’s too small before we even build it,” director Sherry Haas said. “I think we had the same issue when we built the current junior high. It was too small when we moved in.”

The board, minus no votes from Haas and director Brandon Mazepa, voted to authorize Keystone Consulting Engineers to proceed with the planning, bid document preparation, and fee schedule for the district administration office addition project.

“There are desks in the hallways for small group instruction,” Paules said, describing the current state of SS Palmer. “This would free up four or five classrooms.”

A proposal to move sixth grade from the S.S. Palmer and Towamensing elementary schools to the junior high campus was a major point of contention Tuesday. The board voted down a motion to authorize KCBA Architects to proceed with the building design and bid package for the building addition to the high school/junior high school in order to have more discussion.

Despite the no vote on the sixth grade move, board members expressed a shared commitment to addressing school overcrowding.

“Nobody here is saying we don’t want to move forward,” Connell said. “We just don’t want to move forward too quickly. “This board is not going to hurry, scurry and make decisions. We cannot tax the heck out of our elderly folks, the people on limited incomes.”

The shift is expected to create more classroom space in elementary schools, particularly at SS Palmer, which has been experiencing overcrowding.

The proposal includes relocating the main high school entrance to a new two-story addition off the east parking lot. The two-story addition at the high school’s east end would consolidate high school and junior high entrances into a shared zone.

The first floor of the addition would house the administrative offices, guidance counselors, and the nurse’s suite. The second floor would provide additional classroom space to accommodate the extra students brought by sixth grade’s move. In total, district officials said, eight additional classrooms would be gained through the project.

The potential impact on students was also a concern. A study cited during the meeting suggested that moving younger students into a junior high environment could affect their development.

“That study was conducted in 2007 and in North Carolina,” Paules said. “Could we maybe get something more recent and a little closer to Pennsylvania.”

The total estimated cost for all three initiatives (secure front high school entrance, build new district administration building and move sixth grade to the junior high school campus) are expected to come in around $15 million.

A portion of Tuesday’s debate focused on the potential tax impact.

“For every $50,000, your taxes go up $100,” resident Mary Farquhar said, adding that rising costs could place undue pressure on taxpayers.

Several board members felt that more discussion was needed before committing to the project.

“We cannot make a decision without having more discussions with stakeholders,” director MaryJo King said.

Paules, however, supported moving forward, stating, “If we don’t actually get this ball rolling, we’re not creating any space.”

A March 4 workshop, directors said, will provide another opportunity for discussion before any votes on the sixth grade move are taken.