The Panther Valley School Board approved creating four new positions for an autistic support classroom at the district’s elementary school among personnel moves taken last week.

The district will be running this new program for students with autism and related disorders, Robert Palazzo, interim superintendent, said after the meeting.

“Our focus will be on kindergarten and first grade to start,” he said. “We are excited to provide our own programming for students and give them the services they need to be successful within their home school.

“We will also continue to work with outside partners to support students who may need a higher level of support for their children,” Palazzo said.

The board created one special education teaching position and three paraprofessional positions for the autistic support classroom.

Other personnel item approved by the board:

• Conferences: Douglas Fedor, Pennsylvania Psychological Association Conference June 17 to 21 in King of Prussia, $1,651; and Alysha Neff, Hannan Spillman, Renata Lawrence, Legally Defensible FBA’s and BIP’s.

• Courses/credits: Jennifer Jones, Literacy Leadership; Mary Ribarchik, Organizing, Implementing and Evaluating School Reading Programs; R. Lawrence, Curricula and Strategies for Mild Disabilities, and Special Education Clinical Field I; Julie Gower, Research I and II. All of these three-credit courses are at $516 a credit.

• Class advisors: Chrisanne Powell, Michelle Martin, freshman; Joe Damiano, Keith Gogal, sophomore; Jen Maynard and J. Jones, junior; Trish O’Gurek, Terri Williams, senior.

• Department heads: M. Martin, English; J. Maynard, math; C. Powell, science; John Wank, history; John Cooper, health and physical education; Evelyn Hydock, fine arts; and Sue Solt, business education.

• Extracurricular and Support Activities: E. Hydock, culture fest; Terri Williams, National Honor Society; J. Maynard, J. Jones, JSHS student council; Hannah Mordaunt, Holly Skrimcovsky, junior high student council; J. Wank, Juilian Costa, JSHS yearbook; Mary Kate Imossi, junior high yearbook; H. Mordaunt, Junior high newspaper; H. Spillman, Kim Bayer (shared stipend), drama coach; Nick Jaeschke, band director and choral director; Carissa Houtz, percussion assistant; John Cooper, JSHS audio visual; Eric Bella, FBLA; Pauline Romanowski, JSHS data coordinator; Lauren Edsall, art club; Janine McFadden, JSHS computer tech; M. Martin, C. Powell, Scholastic Scrimmage; P. Romanowski, Carbon County corrections; 8 Ace, Steve Reimert; Sue Solt, C. Powell, detention monitors, S. Solt, after school tutoring.

Mentors: J. Wank; L. Edsall; Frank Karnish, C. Powell, Bruce Millheim, J. Costa, H. Mordaunt, and T. Williams.

• Summer school: E. Hydock, C. Powell, B. Millheim, P. Romanowski, Nancy Gardiner, M. Martin, K. Gogal, J. Damiano and Bob Macdonald.

• Volunteers: Tiarra Gott, Kelly Machuca, Cerissa Mantz, Ashlee McCuen, Marnnie Paredes, Brian Yusella and Lisa Steigerwalt.

• Requests to carry over days to new year: Terese Altemose, three vacation and one personal; and Janie Yarish, five vacation days.

• Unpaid medical leave of absence for employee No. 1228, retroactive to March 18 and continue through end of school year.

• Placing T. Williams, a JSHS teacher, in the master’s degree column of the union pay scale effective immediately for the current school year. She has completed the requirements for a master’s degree