Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy has proposed a plan to partner with the Bethlehem Area Education Foundation, an independent organization, to share communication and public relations services.

"What I'm proposing we do is contract with the foundation through the executive director to work with us to provide communication services and promo materials, calendar and help develop a better communication strategy," said Roy during the Aug. 4 Bethlehem School Area District board meeting.

The district will contribute about $20,000 to the foundation for the director's salary in exchange for the public relations services, while the foundation will pay $40,000 and benefits toward the director's salary. The search for a full-time director is ongoing.

The BASD has worked with the foundation on previous projects such as the Come Join Us videos. Roy has been working to reinvigorate the foundation since coming to the district.

The district plans to move forward with the partnership after hiring a full time director to run the foundation.

The service agreement with the foundation was added to the list of agenda items for the Aug. 11 meeting at East Hills MS.

Russell Giordano also presented a new procedure for approving volunteer coaches for sports. The topic has come up in prior meetings and several members want to see how the selections are made and how the coaches have their clearances. This change is not a result of last month's softball coach questions.

"Someone said the coaches should appear as an agenda item so the board can see who they are," Giordano said, "so we have put a process together that does just that. Since it's a new process you will see it in September. So going forward it would be our hope we can show these to you at the same time we name the coaches for the next year."

Roy said that all coaches - volunteer and paid - have their clearances. Volunteer coaches often play an important role on the team, being there day-in and day-out for the team.

Starting this upcoming school year, 2014-2015 all coaches will need to be board approved before working with students. All new volunteer coaches will need to go through the same process as paid coaches. Current active volunteers will be grandfathered in.

School Director Eugene McKeon thanked Giordano for his work.