During the Sept. 13 Whitehall-Coplay School Board meeting, Whitehall-Coplay School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Steckel thanked Costco for a donation of 400 backpacks for Gockley Elementary School students; New Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church for a donation of cases of hand sanitizer and children’s books; and Staples in Whitehall for a donation of school supplies.

Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative President Shari Noctor said, during the first week of September, the food pantry served the highest number of people since it began. The initiative signed up 44 new households, the majority being low-income households with children.

Community meals will be held the first Sunday and third Tuesday of each month for the first 100 people who show up. Noctor thanked the board for helping to spread the word.

In other business, the board approved the appointment of Tina Champ as the WCSD assistant open records officer.

The board unanimously approved David Schaap, Brentwood Borough School District, as its nominee for president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, and Allison Mathis, North Hills School District, as its nominee for vice president. Nominees will run in the PSBA’s 2022 election.

Also approved was Edward Brown, Upper Darby School District, as east zone representative.

The board approved the revised 2021-22 WCSD ARP/ESSER Health and Safety Plan, effective Sept. 7, 2021, which changed the masking requirement from optional to mandatory.

The board approved the revised appointment of Tom Ernst to Whitehall Township Public Library’s board of trustees. He will fill a three-year term on the board through June 30, 2024, replacing Joe Ebner.

The board approved the authorization of Fox Rothschild LLP to enter into an agreement for the property located at 2150 MacArthur Road, identified as Parcel ID number 549852842359 1, setting the assessments of the property at $3,308,200 for school tax year 2021-22, $3,071,600 for school tax year 2022-23 and for each subsequent tax year until a change in the property’s assessment pursuant to applicable law.

Also approved was the resolution declaring the official intent of the school board to reimburse WCSD from the proceeds of debt for capital expenditures and costs of issuance temporarily funded from revenues or other sources for various capital projects, including, but not limited to, the planning and construction of a new elementary school and the planning and renovation of Gockley Elementary into administrative offices.

The board approved a field trip request from the boys basketball team to travel to Loyalsock High School, Loyalsock, Dec. 10-11, with school vans used for transportation. The overnight trip with lodging will be paid for by the basketball booster club, and no days of school will be missed.

The board approved a field trip request from the wrestling team to travel to the Wrestling War on the Shore tournament in Ocean City, Md., Jan. 14-15, 2022, with school vans used for transportation. The overnight trip with lodging will be paid for by the wrestling booster club, and no school days will be missed.

The board approved field trip requests from the baseball and softball teams to travel to the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., March 23-27, 2022. The team will be transported by a charter bus, and all accommodations and expenses will be paid for by the baseball and softball booster clubs. Two days of school will be missed.

The board approved a field trip request from the Whitehall Marching Zephyr Band to travel to the Cavalcade of Bands championship, held at Hershey Park Stadium, Nov. 13 or 14, with two school buses used for transportation.

Field trips will be permitted based on travel restrictions, state guidelines and WCSD and administration’s discretion at the time of the trip.

Approved resignations include Melanie Rabeh, paraprofessional at Zephyr Elementary; Courtney Hunsberger, Dance Club adviser and Ski and Snowboard Club adviser at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School; Kathleen Ashton, districtwide bus aide; Andrea Vassa, German teacher at WCMS; Heather Moyer, cafeteria worker at WCMS; JoAnn Humanick, cafeteria worker at Gockley; Christine Torres, districtwide bus driver; Jennifer Bodnar, SADD Club adviser at Whitehall High School; Erin Pachter, K-2 virtual learning teacher; Michelle Le, Spanish Club adviser at WHS; Denise Ritter, secretary at Zephyr; and Gina Tallarico, fourth-grade teacher at Zephyr.

New temporary professionals include Amanda Vrabel, fifth-grade learning support at Zephyr, at $58,175 per year; Jessica Englert, special education at WHS, at $59,325; Nicole Schmidt, first grade at Gockley, at $54,221; Gina Tallarico, fourth grade at Zephyr, at $52,999; and Bridget Santiago, life skills at WCMS, at $60,476.

Salaried substitutes include Michael Massimo, sixth grade at WCMS, at $52,299; Laura Tiers, midlevel virtual English, at $52,299; Joseph Egan, midlevel virtual social studies, at $52,299; Erin Pachter, virtual K-2, at $52,299; Michelle Lindenmuth, virtual K-2, at $52,299; and Yarah Kinani, midlevel virtual science, at $52,299.

Long-term substitutes include Sarah Talianek, school counselor at Zephyr, at $150 per day; and Natalie Schlofer, emotional support at WCMS, at $150 per day.

Approved support staff include Jonathan Hagenbuch, security at WHS, at $18.75 per hour; Anna Marie Bryk, library secretary at Gockley, at $18.85 per hour; Wendy Weeast, attendance secretary at WHS, at $28,280; Debra Kreglow and Karen Holubowski, cafeteria workers at WHS, at $14.02 per hour; Hilda Beale and Bonnie Freyman, cafeteria workers at WCMS, at $14.02 per hour; Timothy Sommer, maintenance building worker, at $21.62 per hour; and Dino Mallard, WCMS maintenance, at $21.62 per hour.

New paraeducators include Ashley Hadeed, second- and third-grade emotional support at Steckel Elementary School, at $20.02 per hour; Stacie Pisano, reading at WCMS, at $18.85 per hour; Jennifer Lopez, fourth-grade inclusion at Zephyr, at $20.02 per hour; Abby Hawk, fifth-grade inclusion at Zephyr, at $20.02 per hour; Megan Wellington, fifth-grade reading at Zephyr, at $18.85 per hour; and Olivia Faloon, reading at Zephyr, at $18.85 per hour.

Approved 2021-22 club and extracurricular advisers at WHS include Christina Figueroa, Anime Club, with the additional compensation of $700; Michael Lynn, Art Club, at $700; Nicole Capuano, Book Club, at $700; Elizabeth Burnett, Class of 2022, at $2,036; Fiana Spangler and Carolyn Radon, Class of 2023, at $831 each; Elizabeth Richburg and Elizabeth Burnett, Class of 2025, at $595.50 each; Christen Martino, commencement speaker coach, at $544; Timothy Cahalan, Dungeons and Dragons, at $700; Jessie Bucchin, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Students Engaging in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences, at $700 each; Justin Boandl, Engineering Club, at $700; Danny Moyer, exhibitions coordinator and gallery coordinator, at $550 each; Victoria Ziatyk, German Club and German National Honor Society, at $700 each; Steven Adams, Interact Club, at $700, and Scholastic Scrimmage, at $1,091; Kathlyn Macalintal, Leo Club, at $1,160; Joseph Krempasky, London Club, at $700; Laura Goldfeder and Suzanne Hetten, Mu Alpha Theta, at $350 each; Christina Figueroa and Sean Werner, National English Honor Society, at $350 each; Suzanne Hetten and Michelle Abbadessa, National Honor Society, at $500 each; Nicole Capuano, newspaper adviser, at $2,863; Christina Stoudt, Science National Honor Society, at $700; Brittney Jackson, Science Olympiad, at $925; Michael Yadush, Ski Club, at $700; Robert Panny, Social Studies Honor Society, at $700; Michelle Le, Spanish National Honor Society, at $700; Carolyn Radon and Michelle Le, Student Council advisers, at $1,400 each; Nicole Capuano and Vanessa Blose, Students Against Destructive Decisions, at $350 each; Sarah Peterson, Studio Club, at $1,000; Bethany Lewis, Video Game Club, at $700; Tim Cunningham, weight team, at $1,362; Laura Derlunas, yearbook, at $3,273; Gabrielle Smith, Zephyr Nation, at $1,000; Edward Hong, choral director, at $4,962, spring musical producer, at $1,650, and spring musical director, at $1,355; Monique Haney, spring musical stage director, at $1,650; Neil Chaban, spring musical pit musician and spring musical rehearsal accompanist, at $540 each; Melissa Zimmer, spring musical choreographer, at $950; Matthew Tanzos Jr., spring musical pit orchestra conductor, at $850, marching band director, at $6,410, indoor percussion instructor, at $1,557, jazz band director, at $780, percussion ensemble director, at $510, and symphonic band director, at $644; Elaine Ramirez, marching band winds director, at $1,878; Morgan Guiher, marching band color guard, at $1,878, color guard instructor, at $1,557, and color guard tech, volunteer; and Matthew Tanzos Sr., percussion arrangement/instructor, at $1,878, and assistant percussion instructor, at $1,557.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 11.

Committee meetings on operations/transportation, finance/personnel and education/student activities will be held 4 p.m. Sept. 27 and Oct. 25.