Hamburg Area School Board approved changes to the high school program of studies for the 2015-16 school year on July 27.
Junior and senior students will be able to earn 1 credit by taking part in a professional field experience, previously referred to as an internship.
“This will allow students to experience the professional world while earning school credit hours,” said Chris Spohn, high school principal.
Students will spend at least two periods each day working in a local business, exploring a career, honing their talents and learning about the professional world.
Students must have a guaranteed means of transportation and may or may not be paid for the experience, depending on the agreement with the business owner.
In other news, school directors voted, 6-2, to approve the 2015-16 administrator salaries.
The administrator salaries will include a $2,400 raise and a $1,000 merit raise, according to Brooke Adams, school directors’ president.
Although they both acknowledged that the administrators have done an excellent job, school directors Andrew Raugh and Brian Riegel cast opposing votes.
“I’m concerned with the impact to the budget,” Raugh said. “They are the largest part of the budget. I’d like to see a comparison to the private sector, not only the public (sector).”
“I’m not opposed to raises, but I’m concerned for the taxpayers we represent,” Riegel said. “People are trying to keep their homes and I’m concerned how higher taxes impact homeowners.”
School directors met in executive session before the meeting which pushed back the start of the meeting by 45 minutes to discuss personnel and contracts.
The district is currently involved in a lawsuit with E.R. Stuebner Construction in regards to the completion of work and the quality of that work at Perry Elementary Center.
No further details were available.
The next meeting of school directors is Monday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the James A. Gilmartin Community Room.