JERSEY SHORE — An issue dealing with positive balances on lunch accounts at the Jersey Shore Area School District was brought to the district’s board Monday night by Ben Enders, district business manager and board secretary.

Enders told the board that by law, the district cannot keep money remaining on accounts after a student has left the district. Monies that are not claimed by the students are then turned over to the state’s unclaimed property and then the district must maintain a record of the account for 13 years.

Enders noted that the state doesn’t care about the dollar amount.

“I literally have to track and keep records on a penny account,” he said.

The idea that Enders proposed is to offer parents three options for settling the accounts. The first would be to refund the money at the parent’s request. The second would be to transfer the balance to a younger siblings account. For the third option, parents could request that the remaining money be donated to the Love Center, which operates a food bank in the borough.

Enders told the board that he had approached the pastor in charge of the Love Center and that he said the money would be used for the backpack project which in turn impacts district students.

“Just so you know, right now we’re talking about, there’s 211 accounts under $1,” Enders said.

According to Enders, parents will be notified through the one-call system requesting that they close out their account and where to get the form to do that. Enders said that going forward, the district will put this process in motion before the end of the school year.

Under personnel matters, the board approved the following appointments and their pay rates: Tracy Silvis, Energy Leader at the Middle School, $400 per year; Dylan Lietch, varsity boys’ soccer coach, $2,160 per year; Angel English and William Dorwart, full time custodians, $14.07 per hour and Nicole Welshans, morning crossing guard, $12.93 per hour.

They also accepted the resignations of Mike Wentzel, head junior high wrestling coach and Adam Sullivan, assistant boys varsity soccer coach.

The board voted to accept a donation of $5,225 by friends and family members of Kelly Klein from State Farm for a memorial courtyard at the Middle School in memory of Klein. Plans are to provide an area where there will be seating and picnic benches for students to use in the courtyard area.

They also approved two letters of agreement between the district and the Lycoming-Clinton Joinder Board for school based outreach and student assistance services programs for the 2019-20 school year.

An agreement between the district and the district and First Hospital Wyoming Valley for special education services was approved by the board. Under the agreement, special educational service will be provided to district student who are admitted to the hospital and enrolled in its Genesis School. Dr. Jill Wenrich, district superintendent, noted that although the district does not directly send students to the hospital’s program, there are times when students are referred by another agency and this agreement will provide for their education in those cases.

The board also announced that a special meeting will be held at 7 p.m. tonight at the administration building, 175 A&P Drive to discuss the proposed options for school closures or reconfiguration.

Board members present were: Craig Allen, Merrill Sweitzer, Michelle Stemler, Mary Thomas Kelley Wasson and Harry Brungard. Absent were: John Pecchia, Christopher Fravel and Karen Stover.

The next regular meeting of the board will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the administration building.