Two seasoned teachers and the current Catasauqua High School band director will be stepping down.

At the Catasauqua Area School District March 10 board meeting, the board approved the retirements of William H. Bond, technology education teacher; Robert J. Bydlon, secondary biology teacher at CHS; and a letter resignation from James J. D'Annibale, CHS marching and pep band director.

Bond has served 16 years in the district and Bydlon 35 years. Their effective date of retirement is June 13.

"We're losing two teachers with 51 years of service to the district," district Superintendent Robert Spengler said.

CASD Director of Student Activities Thomas Moll II said D'Annibale's absence will be hard to fill.

"He will be sorely missed by our kids," Moll said. "He did a really good job."

Board member Christine Naegel said the district should seek someone with D'Annibale's character and competency to fill the open band position.

"I really hope we can some how, some way find someone to replace Mr. D'Annibale," she said.

Also during the meeting, mother of an incoming CHS student Karla Fryslin told the board she was not impressed with a CHS counselor who recently spoke with incoming ninth-graders unfavorably regarding students attending vocational technical school as part of their high school experience. She did not name the counselor.

"The counselor did not sound very fond of sending kids to vo-tech," she said. "That bothers me a lot."

According to Frylsin's son, the counselor cautioned students if they enroll in technical school they will be required to take applied courses and will not be able to enroll in honors courses.

Naegel told Fryslin her daughter, who graduated last year, attended Lehigh Career & Technical Institute and was enrolled in honors courses.

Board member Dawn Berrigan stressed the high quality of Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

"Our technical school is one of the best in the country," she said.

"No matter what happens in this world, we are always going to need people in the trades," Frylsin added.