Northwestern Lehigh School District Technology Coach Kathy Fiedler compared Google Chromebooks to laptops at the May 21 school board meeting.

"We provide access and they learn," Fiedler said. "If they don't have connections at home we make ways for them."

Susan Hanlon said her students grew up with the World Wide Web.

When she started teaching the Internet was new.

Fiedler said researching material is easier on a non-print resource, and Chromebooks gives students the ability to work things out for themselves by trial and error.

Chromebooks, which opens faster than laptops, finds a search object quicker keeping students more interested.

A Chromebook costs $279 compared to a laptop costing $800, thereby helping with the district's budget.

Fiedler said Chromebooks will sweep the country and students who use them prefer them.

Board member Ron Morrison questioned Fiedler, who is on the retirement list.

"What can we do to keep you here?" Morrison asked. "We've seen it grow. How do we change industry to look at things another way?"

In other matters, Elementary Music Instructor Shawn Fies received a certificate from the National Association of Music Merchants.

Inscribed on the certificate is the following: "NAMM Foundation salutes Northwestern Lehigh Elementary School for its outstanding support of music education, enriching the lives of children and advancing student achievement."

Student representative to the school board Ryan Cerrano received a plaque from board President Darryl Schafer.

Director of Curriculum Leann Stitzel presented a first reading on the seventh grade accelerated math program.

She said the committee looked for a more rigorous program that will phase in algebra.

A second reading of a document for kindergarten to 10th grade language was created in part by the teachers.

Morrison said he hoped she could sort out the differences between Pennsylvania and federal Common Core standards.

Northwestern Lehigh Superintendent Dr. Mary Anne Wright said when looking at textbooks they try to find the best match for an already written curriculum.

Board member Paul Fisher said some states dictate what books the schools should have.

"[But] our teachers are the curriculum experts," Fisher said.

Budget goals include maintaining class sizes when considering staffing.

The state sets guidelines and kindergarten classes are to have between 17 to 22 students.

Presently, there are 23 kindergartners in a class.

If the number increases to 25 or 26, a new section will have to be formed.

Schafer asked if the district would ever have all-day kindergarten.

Wright said she had been against it but now the standards are different with higher expectations for kindergartners.

She said the issue is open for discussion.

Board member Bill Dellicker said 1.5 percent raises for support staff are not sufficient.

Fellow board member LeRoy Sorensen said there should be some disparities, not across the board raises.

Wright said there is a 3-percent raise on the proposed final budget.

The district will not provide health care for any part timers, including drivers.

If a driver has a 30 to 60 minute layover, he or she will be paid overtime.

A 77-passenger school bus was purchased at $85,567 from Star Buick in Quakertown. There is a trade in.

Two, 10-passenger vans were purchased for $57,630 but the trade in was rejected.

A Dodge Caravan was purchased on state contract for $21,523.

Speaking time for public comment was increased to five minutes in the revised policy.

Activities Director Jason Zimmerman said there will be changes to the band next year and participation is expected to increase.

Fies has offered to help with the changes.

As part of the LCTI report, Bill Dellicker said Austin Fenstermaker was named an outstanding co-op student for his work in the precision machine tool technology lab at Air Products.