The East Penn Board of School Directors voted unanimously to approve $127,193 for sinkhole repair and other related work for the Emmaus High School Stadium Turf and Track Project at the Sept. 14 ‘virtual’ regular meeting.

Heavy rains during the summer caused sinkholes to open up under the bleachers and where the track meets the field. Pressure grouting repairs were required to stabilize and fill in the voids. Three change orders to the Skepton Construction contract, totaling $92,193, were approved for the emergency work.

An additional $35,000 was approved for a geophysical investigation of the affected and surrounding area. Facilities Director Steve Onushco and geologist Paul Creneti from Earth Engineering Inc. fielded questions about the need to check for the presence of additional subsurface voids.

Although the turf field was still intact and there was no damage to the bleachers or other assets, Onushco said there will be a need to make adjustments to improve drainage around the perimeter of the stadium to divert runoff away from the sinkhole affected section.

Business Administrator Robert Saul said the capital fund balance can be drawn from to handle such situations.

School District Superintendent Kristen Campbell said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending free school meals through December 2020. All East Penn students can now take advantage of free breakfast and lunch programs through the district’s food service’s website.

Campbell proudly announced Emmaus High School has been ranked by “U.S. News” in the top 100 schools in Pennsylvania.

The board was updated on the progress Communities In Schools is making at the high school and middle school levels, including on how they gather data during a changing learning environment.

Presenting CSI program highlights were Director of Special Education Dr. Linda Pekarik, Lower Macungie Middle School counselor Lisa Shirvinski, CSI Associate Vice President of Operations Wendy Seiffert and CSI Program Manager Migdalia Garcia.

Communities In Schools began behavior support at EHS in July 2017. The program was expanded to both middle schools in July 2019. The service assists with student mental health issues which impede success in the classroom. These include suicide ideation, self harm, anger control, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, family issues and gender identification.

The nonprofit agency provides support in a 3-tiered program.

At the high school level, Tier I reaches interested students with a Mindfulness and Meditation Group and an after-school yoga class. Suicide Prevention Awareness happens in January for all students, faculty and staff and May is Mental Health Awareness Month. CIS On the Go supports families with basic needs.

Tier II allows group services for students. These include an Attendance Awareness Campaign, Life Skills Group (Facilitated by Center For Humanistic Change), Anxiety Management and Coping Skills Group (facilitated by mid-Atlantic Rehabilitative Services), Smoking Cessation Group, Kids of Promise and Google Classroom.

Tier III provides for individual support.

The middle school programs provide a 3-tiered system geared for students to learn coping skills, anxiety management, developing social skills, positive decision making, study skills and managing emotions, among others.

As with the high school, Tier I is for large groups and Tier II is for smaller gatherings. Tier III provides for individual support for middle schoolers.

The presenters took turns detailing how various goals such as reducing school suspensions were met or reducing schoolwide chronic absenteeism fell short at each of the schools.

They explained how the statewide shutdown derailed achieving success with some of their planned events.

Overall, the board was pleased with the progress the program has made at both secondary levels.

In her district update, Campbell explained how the district handled technical issues which cropped up during the start of the remote learning. There had been a change in the Zoom login procedure after student orientation to make it safer. This caused much frustration with parents, students and staff later on. Other issues included errors and slow loading caused by Google and Schoology platforms being overwhelmed.

She said they are working on additional “how-to” tutorials and other ways to help people navigate the new technology. Campbell reassuringly said district teachers were going to be flexible with students who may have to make up missed assignments due to the widespread technical difficulties.

Director of Informational and Instructional Technology Services Lisa Manzo was on hand to answer questions about server security and other board inquiries.

A donation of a “Back to School Kit” from Highmark, Inc. was gratefully accepted by the directors. The personal protective equipment kit contains 8,242 face masks, 964 face shields, 1,928 antibacterial wipes and 20 gallons of sanitizer valued at $10,381.

In personnel matters, the directors acknowledged the retirement of Lower Macungie Middle School math teacher Ellen Navitsky in June and Willow Lane administrative assistant Donna Derr effective January 2021.

Assistant Superintendent Douglas Povilaitis provided a review of new and updated policies on discrimination and Title IX sexual harassment affecting staff. He will incorporate suggestions made by Director Ziad Munson for the second reading.

The Lehigh Career & Technical Institute was experiencing no staffing issues with their hybrid learning program, according to Vice President Paul Champagne.

The directors voted unanimously to support a slate of Pennsylvania School Boards Association candidates for 2020-2021 that were recommended by the PSBA Leadership Development Committee. They include David Hein for president elect, Sabrina Backer for vice president, Michael Gossert as treasurer, and Marianne Neel to serve with the PSBA Insurance Trust.

There were no requests to address the board.

President Ken Bacher announced there was an executive session held 6:45 p.m. before the public meeting on personnel and real estate issues.

The East Penn School Board meet regularly 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. A regular board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12. The public can access documents through BoardDocs and ‘virtual’ meetings online via a link on the district website.