Students of Alburtis, Lincoln, and Jefferson elementary schools will now enjoy busing if they live outside the .75-mile radius of their schools thanks to passing of district policy 206 Sept. 9. The policy is consistent with recent changes at Willow Lane Elementary. The policy now states, "The maximum distance an elementary pupil shall be expected to walk to school is .75 miles."

District Superintendent Dr. Tom Seidenberger once again broached the topic of the rising number of special education students in the district, noting a new piece of legislation supported by State Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th, regarding increased funding for these students.

Seidenberger presented a report to the board detailing the statistics of past and present school years showing special education enrollment has not decreased in the last seven years. In autistic support, the numbers climbed from last year's 33 to 40 in elementary, and 27 to 34 in secondary.

Only at the secondary level have numbers shown any decrease over three years; Emmaus High School learning support dropped from 221 to 219 this year. Seidenberger says the numbers aren't likely to decrease any time soon, and he plans to contact local legislators on behalf of the district to take Browne's proposal into serious consideration.

Enrollment in the district is still down under 8,000, says the superintendent, but he cautiously promised not to settle a final number until after Oct. 3 when he believes the now fluctuating enrollment will have stabilized. The majority of students leaving the district at this point are moving into different public schools and therefore, likely leaving the area; the small remainder are entering private and charter schools and a few are beginning homeschool.

A few East Penn parents are determined to see an amendment to the Emmaus High School yearbook, among them school board candidate Chris Donatelli, who addressed the school board Monday evening regarding the high school's rifle team and their total absence from the yearbook.

Donatelli's son was on the rifle team at Emmaus until just this year when he graduated; Donatelli was surprised to find not a single mention of the team was made, particularly when they finished the last year undefeated in the district and the league.

The athletic director, Dennis Ramella, claimed no involvement after Donatelli contacted him, but the photographer Don Herb produced his photo of the team telling Donatelli it was one of his best and obviously surprised that it was not in the yearbook.

At this point, no one can say it was not an oversight, Donatelli confirmed. But Donatelli is determined "not to let it lie."

"This board, this administration and the East Penn School District staff all claim they are here for the students," Donatelli said to the board. "I come to you tonight to ask you to put your money where your mouth is."

Board vice president Alan Earnshaw confirmed the yearbook advisor's position is a co-curricular and therefore paid position but says the issue is a high school one and could not say what the school board would do to address it.