The East Penn Board of School Directors observed a moment of silence in memory of Carol Gessner at the May 24 virtual regular meeting. The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 life skills employee died May 11 at age 63. Gessner had worked as an instructional assistant with the IU life skills classroom at Lower Macungie Middle School.

The school board gratefully accepted a $29,746.93 donation from The Giant Company through their feeding school kids initiative to provide financial support toward reducing student lunch debt.

“The Giant Company and their customers in our community together raised more than $3 million to address the issue of childhood hunger,” School Superintendent Kristen Campbell said.

Business Administrator Robert Saul said this gift will take care of all current outstanding lunch debt with some of the funding available to pay off future debt.

Based on the administration’s recommendations, the directors decided to return to in-person meetings beginning June 14. Campbell and Director of Information and Instructional Tech Lisa Manzo said this meeting will be recorded and posted online the next day, as it had been done pre-COVID. They explained the technology in the boardroom needs to be upgraded before livestreaming can be achieved.

The initial in-person sessions will be open to public attendance and participation, but until the upgrades and additional equipment can be purchased and installed, addressing the board remotely will not be possible. Although the costs can fit into the current budget, it will take time for a contractor to be able to schedule the installation.

COVID-19 protocols will still be in effect for indoor, in-person gatherings.

Secondary STEM Supervisor Mike Mihalik presented a proposed therapy/facility dog program for the district to an enthusiastic board. Three specially trained therapy dogs would be purchased for the district, along with startup costs, with financial support by the East Penn Foundation.

Benefits include reducing isolation, anxiety and inappropriate social behavior, while improving attentiveness, engagement, socialization and learning skills. Mihalik said this program would help students readjust from the pandemic-based upheaval in their education as they transition back to the classroom.

One canine would be at the high school for emotional support and learning support classrooms. Another would be assigned to the elementary schools and the third would function as a secondary level therapy dog. These canines would be utilized for multiple purposes, including literacy programs, emotional support, reward/teaching and animal-assisted activities.

“Caretakers” would deliver and pick up the dogs, while “handlers” would be in charge of the canines during the day.

In her district update, Campbell said 225 members of the East Penn community received COVID-19 vaccinations at a clinic held May 21 at Lower Macungie Middle School in partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network. She also complimented the Emmaus High School History Day participants and spring athletes for their recent accomplishments.

For her final EHS Student Government Association report, Grace Comfort also spoke for Bella Haigney, who could not attend. She announced the senior ball will be at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks June 11 and Emmaus’ virtual spring musical “Tuck Everlasting” is streaming June 5 and 6. The high school in-person graduation will be held June 13 at the PPL Center in Allentown.

Campbell and directors recognized and thanked the two graduating seniors for their participation, noting both had served with the SGA for four years, among other scholastic accomplishments. Each will receive a gift of appreciation to take with them when they leave for college. Comfort is headed to Lafayette College and Haigney to University of Delaware.

In personnel matters, the directors acknowledged the early retirement of Shoemaker third grade teacher Lori Fritz, effective June 30.

Campbell praised Fritz for her 32 years of service with the district.

The board also accepted the resignation of purchasing and accounting coordinator MaryBeth Gerancher effective May 12.

The directors adopted updated board transportation policies. These address comparability of services, school bus drivers, school commercial motor vehicle drivers and drivers of other school vehicles.

Director Alisa Bowman reported the CLIU saved $130,000 on insurance by shopping around. She also spoke of the unit’s having to constantly lobby the state legislature for funding to pay for a state-mandated early intervention program for preschool-aged children with disabilities.

Board President Ken Bacher announced there was an executive session held before the public forum on “negotiations.”

No members of the public addressed the board.

The East Penn School Board meets 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for June 14. The public can access documents through BoardDocs via a link on the district website.