HUGHESVILLE — Sheep could soon be grazing amidst the solar field on East Lycoming School District property, provided a variance is granted by Wolf Township to allow the fluffy bovines to begin their work of keeping the vegetation trimmed.

In his report to the board, Dr. Mark Stamm, superintendent, wrote that at first he hadn’t taken a suggestion to use sheep to keep the grass mowed around the solar panels.

“Weeds around solar panels are a problem. Mowing is problematic and risks damage to the panels,” Stamm stated.

“Sheep have become an environmentally safe management solution,” he added.

With the board’s approval of the proposal to use the sheep, the next step is to get a variance from Wolf Township to allow the animals within township limits.

Sheepscaped Solar will provide the sheep. Their proposal also included trimming of ungrazed vegetation at a cost of $2,200 per year for the time period between April and October.

In other business, the board approved keeping the cost of student meals and existing cafeteria fund balance at the current rate for the upcoming school year.

Lunch and breakfast prices will be: elementary — breakfast, $1, lunch, $2.05; and secondary — breakfast, $1.10, lunch, $2.15.

Under personnel items, the board approved: Michelle Lentz, part-time custodian, $13.61 per hour; Cole Lesher, secondary mathematics teacher, $56,650 per year; Nichole Brown, instructional aide, $13.79 per hour; Emma Devlin, part-time ESL teacher, $25,415 per year; Jessica Wurst, part-time instructional aide, $13.79 per hour; Steve Shrawder, assistant football coach, $2,947; and Daniel Foresman, athletic volunteer.

Resignations received by the superintendent were: Victoria Welch, secondary math teacher; Jenny Krepshaw, elementary guidance counselor; and Kimberly Whitmoyer, supervisory aide at Renn Elementary.

Other actions taken by the board included approving: an agreement with the Susquehanna Community Health and Dental Clinic Inc. for the upcoming school year; a proposal from R.J. McCarville Associates LTD for new basketball backstops at a cost of $18,500; and a letter of agreement with the Joinder to provide school based outreach and student assistance services at a cost of $15,000 to the district.

A bill currently in the state legislature which reforms how cyber schools operate was highlighted by Stamm at the meeting.

Currently there are 14 cyber schools in the state with an enrollment of approximately 61,000 students, Stamm shared with the board.

Because tuition is paid by the home district of students enrolled, cyber schools cost the state’s 500 districts about $1 billion.

“Currently, tuition is a calculation of a schools annual budget and other factors,” Stamm wrote in his report.

The actual cost for students varies but is around $11,000 for regular education and $24,000 per student for special education, Stamm noted.

If the bill is passed, several things would change in terms of how cyber schools would be required to operate in the state.

The reform would apply to all public schools, such as brick and mortar, charter and cyber charter.

Cyber schools often advertise as being free, but if the bill passes, it would require them to state that they are paid with taxpayer dollars. It also sets a state-wide tuition rate of $8,000 for regular education and $13,120 for special education students.

The bill also prohibits public schools from sponsoring public events such as parades.

Stamm stated that, if the bill becomes law it would reduce what the district pays in cyber school tuition by $288,736.

The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the High School Library. The public should enter through the library vestibule doors.