By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

During their Jan. 20 meeting, Northwestern Lehigh School Board directors were treated to keepsakes and a video from students showing their appreciation for their work.

Superintendent Jennifer Holman noted that January was School Board Director Appreciation Month and, she said, in the United States, nine out of every 10 students attend a public school.

“Therefore, access to high quality public education is critical for our students’ success, but also for the strength of our society,” Holman said, adding teachers, administrators, staff, parents and community members play many roles which help provide that education. “The nine members of your local school board are part of this team that make informed decisions that shape our public schools.”

Holman said each school board member would receive a snowman figurine and a note from students at Weisenberg Elementary, and a poster created by Northwestern Elementary students hanging in the board room.

“On behalf of our entire Northwestern Lehigh school community, I would like to thank all of our board members for their continued service and being dedicated to our students, staff and school community,” Holman said.

The board then watched a video made by elementary, middle and high school students showing their appreciation for the board’s work, attending in-person and online classes, and taking part in extracurricular activities and sports.

Board members praised the students’ resiliency and flexibility, and for their showing of gratitude.

Additionally, Holman provided a COVID-19 update to the board, stating that since August the district had processed 552 case investigations, and that staff were heavily involved in contact tracing, staying vigilant and continuing to follow mitigation efforts.

She said the Department of Education issued updated recommendations for elementary instructional models Jan. 7, and that the district signed a letter Jan. 15 updating its instructional model options for kindergarten and first-grade students to come back four days a week for in-person instruction beginning with the third marking period.

In other business, regarding personnel matters, the district recognized several staff retirements, which were read into the record by middle school Principal Bill Dovico and high school Principal Aileen Yadush.

Family and consumer sciences teacher Debra Aardewijn, instructional assistant Marie Gressley, and business and technology teacher Heidi Taylor were recognized for 25, 16 and 37 years of distinguished Black and Gold service, respectively.

Board members gave the retirees their sincere thanks and appreciation for their commitment and dedication to the district and the Northwestern Lehigh community.

Additionally, the board approved agreements with Wilkes University and Cedar Crest College for field study, internship, practicum and student teacher experiences.

For operations, board members approved the administration to initiate an E-Rate bid process for Category 2 equipment, as well as a five-year agreement for service with PenTeleData through Jan. 3, 2026, to lease the Ethernet port, Ethernet virtual circuit and point-to-point transport at a monthly fee of $2,525.

Additionally, the board approved the issuance of a request for proposals for food service management services for the 2021-22 school year.

Under district finances, the board voted to approve an application for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds in the preliminary amount of $659,845, as Business Administrator Leslie Frisbie said PDE had finalized guidance and officially opened grant applications.

Frisbie said the ESSER II funds are supplemental, one-time emergency aid funds to be used for a variety of expenditures related to coordinating and implementing response efforts associated with COVID-19 with 13 categories for eligible uses.

The grant period for fund used runs from March 2020 through September 2023, and Frisbie said administration staff will work to discuss funding and eligible uses and finalize an application to submit to the Department of Education.

Additionally, another motion was approved certifying the 2021-22 school year tax increase will be less than or equal to the 3 percent index, approximately $855,000, as calculated by the department of education.

Additional motions were approved by the board to approve the Tax Collector Compensation Resolution from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2025, as well as another to enter into an agreement with Sharp-Ross PsychEd Services for bilingual psychoeducational evaluation services at an hourly rate of $125 on an as-needed basis, both of which were previously vetted at the board’s January workshop.

In the foundation report, Curriculum and Technology Director LeAnn Stitzel said for February, the Northwestern Lehigh Education Foundation is embarking on a new “Share the Love of Education” campaign, whose goal is to increase participation in foundation events, raise awareness and inform parents on what the foundation does, and the benefits it brings to students.

She said some materials will be sent home with district students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Lastly, the board voted to accept a donation of books and a bookcase from the Creative Kids North Child Development Center for use in district schools.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 17.