The official calendar for the East Penn School District was approved March 23, along with a few other motions of usual business, by the school board during their regular meeting.

The calendar is slightly revised from the first version brought before the board, some of the language having been changed to be clearer and more accessible to families in the district, especially with regard to weather make-up days.

There are a total of 184 student days and 188 teacher days in the 2015-2016 school year. There are three make-up days "built in" on long weekends earmarked for closure in March and February, which would necessarily be curtailed by the occurrence of bad weather days. In addition, several days in June are left as possible make-up days.

The board also approved the comprehensive plan for the period of July 1 to June 30, 2018. Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Denise Torma, made a brief statement about the plan, which has been in the works since last November.

The comprehensive plan is there to "define North on the district compass," Torma said, as she described how the data- and research-fed program provides direction for the district for the next three to six years. Torma thanked and commended the administration of the district, including the offices of special education, curriculum and instruction, business operations, technology and student services, all of which contributed to the development and implementation of the comprehensive plan.

Torma also noted for the board the comprehensive plan contains points of pride for the district and presents action steps to address present and future needs in the district, informed by current research, data garnered from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and internal audits and district-provided data. The comprehensive plan was available for public review for 28 days.

The board passed approval on budgets for the three educational entities within the district: the operating and capital budgets for Lehigh Carbon Community College; the general fund and academic center school budgets for Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute; and the general operating budget for Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit.

There was some discussion regarding the bill list on a remark raised by Board Director Lynn Donches, who asked whether there was any kind of report she could be asking for to provide the detailed account codes connecting each check issued by the district to the type of purchase being made.

Donches, who has advocated for this item before, suggested a more detailed report or a general ledger of some kind might help her and the board "know what we're voting on."

Superintendent Dr. Michael Schilder responded the administration would be happy to do as the board directs, but the direction for such a report would have to come by majority approval of the board. "If it helps and the board feels it is appropriate, fine. But if not. . . we won't create it."

Board Director Kevin Bacher said he appreciates the check descriptions as they appear in clear English, as opposed to accounting codes, which he says are cumbersome to look up and difficult to interpret at best. He has posited before on Donches's request it is unnecessary.

"In the last two or three years," Bacher said to Donches, "you've asked what we're paying Deer Park for and it's water every time. The information is right here if you will just read it." Should it arise (as it has in the past) Bacher would vote against directing the administration to generate the kind of report requested by Donches.

Board Director Charles Ballard echoed his comments, calling it a waste of thousands of taxpayer dollars better spent in other office activities. Ballard reminded the board the subject has been raised two or three times, in his memory, and voted down every time.

Donches stated she is nervous about approving something that might turn out to be illicit, though "not insinuating that there's wrongness going on," she concluded.

Board Director Wally Vinovskis followed up. "The role of this board is to hire the right people and trust them with responsibility," he stated. "My responsibility is to hire the right people and observe but not to micromanage every decision they make." Vinovskis said he is satisfied with the information as it is presented to the board.

Donches agreed, but added the board's "greater responsibility" is to verify information, something Director Ziad Munson objected to. "There isn't any information that the administration is keeping from us," he affirmed.

Schilder wrapped up the discussion with his remarks: "I feel very comfortable…sitting in board meetings and in a sense verifying or testifying to the fact that the information you have is accurate and the district is running at a very high level," he said. " I am very comfortable and very confident in saying that to you."

Donches was reminded she could submit a motion to appear on the next agenda if she wished.