During the Northampton School Board meeting on Monday, March 10, the board was presented with two budget presentations for consideration.
First, Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 Executive Director Christopher Wolfel presented the General Operating Budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year.
CIU 20 provides educational, administrative and technology services to 13 school districts spanning 1,200 square miles, which helps to create economies of scale, cost savings and better efficiencies in the delivery of important programs and services to children, especially those with special needs.
CIU 20’s base budget supports the administrative services needed for operation amongst four departments, including educational support services, human resources, curriculum/professional learning and instructional materials services (education technology).
The 2025-26 GOB recommends a 4.1% or $173,303 overall budget increase for a total recommended budget of $4,431,923, which breaks down to $2,585,264 for educational support services, $734,515 for curriculum and instructional services, $692,951 for human resources and research services and $419,194 for instructional material services.
The district’s 2024-25 GOB contribution was $47,557 and CIU 20 is requesting a 0% increase for the 2025-26 school year. The board will vote on CIU 20’s $47,557 contribution request in the coming months.
Next, Business Administrator Craig Neiman presented directors with an update to the 2025-26 school year preliminary budget.
In January, Neiman pointed to a $6,259,264 deficit in the upcoming school year’s 2025-26 budget, leaving the board to contemplate potential tax hikes and budget cuts. Following a January preliminary presentation, directors also approved a complete building renovation of Moore Elementary School at an estimated cost of $51 million, which will begin tentatively in summer 2026, although funding for the project has not yet been secured.
The decision to prolong the Moore Elementary renovations until then directly relates to the projected completion of East Allen Elementary School/Education Center also being summer 2026 because this will allow Moore Elementary students to attend East Allen Elementary while Moore Elementary is being renovated. Additionally, this will potentially allow for a more seamless construction period and less of an impact on students.
Neiman’s budget update presented at the March meeting revealed potential reductions including personnel reductions and reassignments ($1,260,697), Moore Elementary summer 2028 opening ($900,910), three district BAVTS including factory ($553,953), staff computer replacement ($150,000), adjust districtwide temperature set point ($100,000), eliminate substitute custodians ($75,000), reduce library and instructional materials ($50,000) and reduce building budgets ($50,000) for a combined total of $3,140,560 in reductions.
Additionally, budget increases since the January presentation include a $500,000 capital budget line item and $85,451 for the Northampton Community College budget, which totals a $585,451 increase in expenditures.
As such, these updated reductions and increases bring the budget deficit to $3,704,155, which is a 40.82% decrease in the previously estimated deficit.
The updated expenditure forecast shows the following budgeted items: salaries ($53.5 million), benefits ($35.7 million), charter schools ($7.4 million), debt service ($12.7 million), BAVTS ($3.4 million), capital budget ($0.5 million), transportation ($9 million) and all others ($18.4 million). The updated total of $140.6 million will be an $8.7 million or 6.6% increase from the 2024-25 budget.
Neiman identified that a 4% tax increase would essentially address the remaining $3,704,155 budget deficit; however, a 4% tax increase each year for the next four years would not cover the district’s forecasted expenditures.
Nevertheless, without Moore Elementary financing, staffing and operations costs, a 1-2% tax increase in 2027-28 and 2028-29 would cover the estimated deficits forecasted.
During the January meeting, directors unanimously approved a resolution indicating that they will not raise taxes above the 4.8% Act 1 Index for the 2025-26 school year, so Neiman provided the following updated tax options to generate funds to cover all or part of the deficit:
The administration will provide budget updates during the April 14, May 12 and June 16 meetings, and the board must approve the final 2025-26 district budget at the June 16 meeting.
In other news, President Kristin Soldridge divulged that the board is anticipating a vacancy, revealing after adjournment that Director Kim Bretzik, who was absent from the meeting, had resigned.
When it came time to adopt the agenda, Director Doug Vaughn noted his concern with two items.
Based on the updated budget presentation’s forecasted deficit through the 2028-29 school year and a motion made by Director Doug Vaughn “for the purposes of balancing our budget and moving Moore Elementary construction into the future,” a 6-2 majority of the board voted to table the agenda items listed under facilities for an amendment to the East Allen Elementary School project contract between NASD and CHA Consulting Inc. to include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary in regard to the engineering services provided by D’Huy Engineering Inc., as well as a contract addendum by and between NASD and KCBA Architects for the design and construction of East Allen Elementary/education center, to also include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary. Directors Brian McCulloch and Josh Harris opposed the motion.
Following, Soldridge provided clarification about the board’s decision to rescind Superintendent Joseph S. Kovalchik’s retirement/resignation and that of his wife’s, Terry E. Kovalchik, who is a middle school reading teacher. Kovalchik’s retirement was previously approved to begin July 1.
“In November 2024, Mr. Kovalchik announced his retirement as superintendent after 34 years of service to Northampton Area School District. Due to the many challenges facing the district in the foreseeable future and allowing time for an adequate transition of a new superintendent, the board and Mr. Kovalchik over the past several weeks have been discussing with him to continue as the superintendent of the district. Mr. Kovalchik has decided to return to the district as the superintendent at this time. We are looking forward to working together as we face these challenges and moving the district forward together,” Soldridge stated.
In a 7-1 majority vote, directors approved the rescindment, with only McCulloch opposing the motion. Per his original contract, Kovalchik will remain superintendent through 2027.
Notably, there will be an upcoming spring musical that everyone is invited to attend. The Northampton Area High School Theatre Company is presenting “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” on March 28 at 7 p.m., March 29 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and March 30 at 1 p.m. General admission is $15, seniors/faculty/students/military are $10, children ages 6-12 are $5 and children under age 5 are free.
The next Northampton School Board meeting will be held on Monday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium, located at 1619 Laubach Ave.
