Looking ahead to the 2017-18 school year, the Parkland School Board approved the district calendar and various large expenditures for buses and services for the next term.

Parkland will continue the tradition of starting school the Tuesday after Labor Day, on Sept. 5 this year.

The district also will keep a long-standing vacation day, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Students are scheduled for 183 days, while teachers will have 190, beginning with three days of professional orientation the last week in August.

June 14 is listed as the final day of school in 2018.

School directors approved an upgrade of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning controls at the high school, to be done by Eccotrol, at a cost of $193,973.

Integra One was awarded a bid for an upgrade to the wireless network at the high school at a cost of $193,944.

If E-Rate funding is received from a governmental program, the price will be reduced to $114,168.

The board approved purchase of five 10-passenger vans from Hondru Chevrolet, Elizabethtown, at a total cost of $153,000.

They also awarded a bid to Rohrer Buses for the purchase of 10, 72-passenger buses for $873,959.

Theses four purchases will be paid from the Capital Projects Fund, not through the general budget.

Fogelsville Elementary School’s kitchen will receive a new convection oven at a cost of $7,050.

Two modular classrooms at Ironton Elementary School will be demolished and removed at a cost of $10,969.

Superintendent Richard Sniscak said the modulars are no longer needed for classroom space.

After removal, the area will be paved and restored.

Due to this work, Ironton will not be open for summer library but students are encouraged to go to the Schnecksville Elementary School library, which will have additional hours of availability.