The Northampton School Board met Monday, June 12 to discuss regular agenda items including the proposed 2023-24 final budget and various home education policies.
During Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik’s report, he congratulated the Class of 2023, which included 446 graduating seniors. Out of those 446 students, 72% are moving on to post-secondary education such as trade schools, colleges, and universities, and 16% are going into the military or entering the workforce.
After a presentation by Kovalchik and Business Administrator Craig Neiman on the district’s long-range fiscal plan, the board moved on to the approval of agenda items.
Under new business, the board unanimously approved the following personnel items: the revised list of professional and support staff transfers; job descriptions for various positions; the appointment of Jason Williamson as board treasurer for the upcoming school year; three resignations; three retirements; one leave of absence; one educational sabbatical; the revised master district volunteer list; and additions and deletions to the substitute listing.
Next, the board unanimously approved the following personnel items: the revised listings for extra-curricular and supplemental positions, spring season coaches, individuals to oversee intramural programs and the weight room, and teachers and instructional assistants to provide extended school year and chapter 15/section 504 services for the summer; the 2023 Kindergarten Readiness Title I Camp offered to incoming kindergarten students in July with Nicole Cramer, Rachel Olm, Jennifer Haley, Alana Heller, Jessica Quinones, Nicole Rothrock, and Jacqueline Schucker as teaching personnel; the agreement between the Northampton Area Educators’ Association and NASD effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2029; the listing of student summer help and their compensation of $10 per hour; the listing of fall season coaches; and the contract for a special education teacher to provide instruction in the home services.
The board also unanimously approved the following hires: Mia Guadagnino as head cheerleading coach; Laura Nederostek as kindergarten teacher at Lehigh Elementary; Sarah Carver as world language teacher at NAHS; Ashley Snyder as special education teacher at George Wolf Elementary; Matthew Weaver as 1:1 special educational instructional assistant at NAHS; Courtney Muick as special education instructional assistant at NAHS; Yashira Crespo as special education instructional assistant at NAHS; Sandra Kulick as 1:1 special educational instructional assistant at NAMS; Laura Muhr as special education instructional assistant at NAHS; Jennifer Calhoun as TPE instrumental music teacher at Siegfried and Lehigh Elementary; Lyndsy Grube as instructional assistant at George Wolf Elementary; Jennifer Modrich-Zughbi as 10-month secretary at Lehigh Elementary; and Yvonne Bachert as special education instructional assistant at NAMS.
Under policy, board members unanimously approved the following board policy adoptions and revisions: 137 – Home Education Program; 137.1 – Extracurricular Participation by Home Education Students; 137.2 – Participation in Cocurricular Activities and Academic Courses by Home Education Students; 137.3 – Participation in Career and Technical Education by Home Education Students, which approves the participation of homeschool students in a career and technical education program including; and 918 – Title I Parent and Family Engagement.
Although the board approved Policy 137.3 – Participation in Career and Technical Education by Home Education Students, the deadline to submit an application to attend BAVTS for the upcoming school year ended in March, so homeschool students will not be able to apply until the 2024-2025 school year.
In other business, the board approved the revised 2023-2024 NAHS program of studies addendum and the NAHS additional targeted support and improvement plan to be implemented during the upcoming school year.
Under finances, the board unanimously approved the following items: A la Carte and school lunch prices of $2.70 for elementary students, $2.90 for secondary students, $4.10 for adults, and $0.70 for milk; insurance coverages for the upcoming school year; a month-to-month maintenance and supplies agreement for a copier costing $110 per month; authorization for the administration to pay final invoices applicable to the 2022-2023 fiscal year and necessary budget transfers in association with Gorman and Associates; an alternate method of billing and payment with Northampton Community College for the 2023-2024 fiscal year; the contract for a special education teacher to provide school-based special education services not to exceed $25,245; the Treasurer’s Report; bills for payment; and the addendum to amend the school district initiated property tax assessment appeal contingent fee agreement and the extension of that agreement for legal services in relation to tax assessment appeals with Raymond P. Wendolowski, Fellerman & Ciambrioli, C. Steven Miller, and King, Spry, Herman, Freund, & Faul.
The board also unanimously approved the adoption of the 2023-2024 final budget, which includes $128,428,529 for general fund expenditures, $2,689,821 for food service fund expenditures, and $273,115 for athletic fund expenditures. The general fund budget is supported by no tax increase.
Last, the board unanimously approved the 2023 Homestead and Farmstead real estate tax reduction, a full-time foreign exchange student at NAHS for the upcoming school year, the ABA contract for students with disabilities, and a memorandum of understanding for dual enrollment programs between the district and East Stroudsburg University, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Moravian University.
The next Northampton School Board meeting will be held on Monday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium, located at 1619 Laubach Ave.
