The Northampton Area School District should realize a savings of about $300,000 in fuel oil and gasoline costs during the 2015-16 school year because of a cooperative purchase agreement that has locked in low prices.

The district will pay about $2.13 per gallon for unleaded gasoline and about $2.22 per gallon for fuel oil.

With Lehigh Valley prices dipping to as low as $2.15 for one gallon of unleaded regular gasoline, but since increasing to about $2.39, some Northampton Area School Board members wondered if there couldn't even be more savings.

"Is there any way we can phase it?" asked school board President David Gogel of the fuel purchases.

"We thought it was a good time to get it while the prices are low," said NASD Business Administrator Terry Leh, who said the district will save about $300,000 in fuel oil and gasoline costs in the 2015-16 school year compared to 2014-15.

Leh noted that last year six vendors bid, while this year only three vendors bid.

"I would like to go in increments," said Gogel.

Purchases are made through the Intermediate Unit 20.

"Before we go with the I-U, the board should have a say," Gogel said.

"I agree," said Leh.

"It's worth looking at for next year [2016-17]," said board member Dr. Michael Baird.

"I agree that it's better to buy more short-term," said board member Darin Arthofer.

School directors voted 7-1, with one director absent at the Jan. 14 meeting, on recommendation of the NASD administration to approve bids for fuel oil for 2015-16 as awarded by the Northampton-Monroe-Pike County Joint Purchasing Board:

No. 2 fuel oil (tank transport) at $2.2207 per gallon to Talley Petroleum Enterprises Inc., Grantville, Dauphin County;

No. 2 fuel oil (consumer tank wagon) at rack plus $0.4732 per gallon to Papco Inc., Aston, Delaware County;

No. 87 unleaded gasoline at $2.1310 per gallon to Talley Petroleum Enterprises Inc.;

ULS diesel (consumer tank wagon) at $2.3941 per gallon, plus $0.0495 per gallon for winter additive, to Papco Inc., and

Off-road diesel at $3.6522 per gallon, plus $0.0495 per gallon for winter additive, to Papco Inc.

Also at the Jan. 14, meeting, school directors voted to approve:

The donated use of the Northampton Area Middle School and Northampton Area High School cafeterias and gymnasiums by the Northampton Area School District for the Dakota C. Galusha Memorial Fund Seventh Annual Basketball Tournament, March 6-8;

The resignation of Jeffrey Delaney as assistant football coach, effective Dec. 11, 2014;

An unpaid leave of absence, with benefits, for Michael Moser, Jan. 2-6, and an unpaid leave, with benefits, Jan. 7-Feb. 1;

Continuation of Jessica Finlayson, long term substitute mathematics teacher at Northampton Area Middle School, through the end of the 2014-15 school year, with benefits;

The position for a 1:1 bus monitor for a special needs student in an out-of-district placement at a cost of $4,554 to be paid using Access funds;

Settlement agreement and release for a special education student;

Addition of Star Gaetaniello at Borough Elementary Schools to the District Volunteer Master Listing for the 2014-15 school year;

Donna Teklits and Patricia Gaetaniello to attend the Pennsylvania Department of Education Data Summit March 22-25 at an estimated cost to the district of $598.56;

Kurt Paccio, director of technology, to attend the International Society for Technology in Education Conference, June 28-July 1, at a cost of $616.20;

Adoption of a policy, effective Jan. 13, for transportation video-audio recording, and

Sixty-month leases with Fraser Advanced Information Systems to replace copiers at Moore Elementary School: Library Sharp Model MX-M623N, $216.50 per month; Faculty Room Sharp Model MX-6240N, $280 per month; Front Office Sharp Model MX-7040N, $291 per month.