At the Nov. 14 East Penn School District board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michael Schilder commended Willow Lane Elementary School fifth grade teacher Lisa McGinty for receiving the 2016 Exemplary Teacher Award from the education department of Cedar Crest College.

The Exemplary Teacher Award is named for Howard L. Klopp, a former education professor and chair of the education department and is presented to honor Dr. Klopp. The award is presented annually to recognize excellence in teaching.

The purpose of the Exemplary Teacher Award is to give recognition to the outstanding teaching taking place in elementary, middle and secondary schools in Lehigh and Northampton counties. For the award, school administrators, teachers, students or parents are encouraged to nominate an outstanding teacher who they feel represents excellence in the teaching profession.

Faculty members from the education department of Cedar Crest College presented the award to McGinty in the midst of an assembly program at Willow Lane Elementary School Nov. 11.

McGinty was shown to exhibit all of the qualities that meet the selection criteria for the Exemplary Teacher Award: a devotion to quality in education, the ability to focus on each student’s strengths, a commitment to helping students achieve their full potential, demonstrating concern for the students that extends beyond the classroom, performing outstanding service to school and community and exhibiting dedication by helping colleagues and advancing their profession as a whole.

McGinty was nominated for this distinguished honor by Dr. Anthony Moyer, principal at Willow Lane School School. In the letter of nomination, Moyer noted, “Mrs. McGinty is very conscientious and continuously strives to improve and expand upon her teaching knowledge. She is an inspiration to our teachers, students and parents. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her.”

In other business, Principal Dave Piperato, Assistant Principal Todd Breiner and Supervisor Secondary Level Curriculum Laura Witman presented the proposed changes to the program of studies for 2017-2018 at Emmaus High School. Piperato explained the “vast majority of changes are simply getting the language of prerequisites more uniform... over the years the prerequisites were edited and changed multiple times and this got the language more consistent.”

Schilder and members of the board complimented the high school administrators for their work and the desire to continually improve.

Lehigh Career and Technical Institute Executive Director Dr. Thomas Rushton and Managing Director, PFM Group Brad Remig talked with the board about the LCTI Bond refinancing proposal.

LCTI will use the money to upgrade the technology equipment, improve the safety and security on the 42-acre campus, build a new welding lab and expand the precision machining lab.

Rushton said “Within the first hour I was on site at LCTI, I was approached about technology...significant issues that need to be addressed. We have a 42-acre campus that still needs full coverage of wireless.”

A safety vulnerability study in collaboration with the state police was conducted and noted significant upgrade needs. Also in the presentation is the plan for welding lab upgrades, as the current space is overcrowded.

A new, larger welding lab will be built in a new separate building which will allow the precision machining lab to expand into where the welding lab was.

In the spirit of workforce development, LCTI notes electromechanical technicians are of great demand.

Rushton said of the seniors at LCTI for welding, 16 had a job upon graduation with multiple companies vying for the graduates.

Board President Alan Earnshaw noted, “The present welding lab’s ventilation system was designed for half the equipment they have in the welding lab” and the new space would create a “better environment for students.”

Remig told the board the school district assumes the expenses proportionate to their students attending LCTI and “18.99 percent of the students at LCTI are Emmaus students.”

The board will vote on the LCTI refinancing proposal at a December meeting.

Schilder reported the East Penn School District has received $60,000 from the “Safe Schools” grant program to cover expenses for the school resource officer. The current cost is approximately $100,000. The district applied for the one year grant over a year ago.

Schilder also reported the “robo call” system has been updated to include texting for emergency and weather alerts and is available to parents.

The observatory project, led by retired EHS teacher Scott Didra and architecture students, is nearly complete. The observatory will house “ a very nice, heavy old telescope,” according to Schilder. The telescope has yet to be installed in the observatory and the dedication for the two- year project is soon. The date has yet to be announced.

The roof of the structure, located near the tennis courts, can slide in and out to reveal the telescope to the sky and is computer controlled. The telescope was donated 20 to 25 years ago. Schilder said the project is one of Didra’s most ambitious to date.

Eyer Middle School students wrote letters to the superintendent regarding a class project; the students decided they would like to make the classrooms more comfortable. The students reported the hard chairs are distracting and uncomfortable period after period and more comfortable chairs would allow the students to focus more on their course work. Schilder visited the classroom and said he “sees their point,” Students secured donations from local vendors” as part of the class project.

New courses were approved by the board members to be added to the existing engineering, computer science and English curriculums for the 2017-2018 school year. The courses include civil engineering and architechure, environmental sustainability, digital electronics, AP language and composition, communications III and IV, AP computer science principles and programming I and II.

There was an executive session that discussed confidential matters prior to the normal meeting.

A reorganization meeting will be held 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5.

The next regular board meeting is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12.