Northampton Area School District has purchased textbooks, more than one-quarter million dollars’ worth, so that students can hit the books this fall for the 2017-18 school year.

NASD Board of Education voted 9-0 at the June 26 meeting, at the recommendation of the administration, to approve $226,130.08 in textbook costs, as included in the 2017-18 district curriculum, high school and special education budgets.

The textbooks run the gamut of subjects, including science, math, social studies, technology and world languages, for kindergarten through 12th-grade classes.

After the meeting, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kovalchik told a reporter for The Press the district is able to allocate the funding for the textbooks because of the 2017-18 final general fund $102,742,322 budget approval June 12 by the school board.

Kovalchik spoke briefly to the school board about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania budget, the deadline for which is June 30, the same deadline for school boards to approve budgets.

“We still have not heard much from the state with respect to the budget, which is due Friday (June 30),” Kovalchik said. “There is talk that the basic education funding increase is in jeopardy. If the education funding is reduced and if the reduction in the transportation subsidy continues, there could be no increase - or a loss.”

NASD Business Administrator Terry Leh has projected the district will net an approximate $61,000 gain based on the difference from the previously announced Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) basic education funding increase and the PDE transportation subsidy decrease.

“We are only going to net $61,000, so if the state was going to reduce its subsidy, that could disappear,” school Director Dr. Michael Baird said.

Leh agreed.

“We’ll be here in July to wait for the state budget,” Baird joked.

“Or August, September, October,” school board President David Gogel added.

The NASD board is holding one meeting, 6:30 p.m. July 17, the third Monday, rather than the usual second and fourth Monday, in the NASD Administration Building, 2014 Laubach Ave., Northampton. The regular schedule resumes 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 and 28.

In other business at the June 26 board meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to hire:

Angelina Bender, long-term substitute second-grade teacher at George Wolf Elementary School, effective Aug. 21 for the 2017-18 school year, at $50,340, with insurance;

Janet Colburn, PE special education teacher at Siegfried Elementary School, effective Aug. 21, at $57,234, with benefits;

Katelin Hursh, PE special education teacher at George Wolf Elementary School, effective Aug. 21, pending receipt of documentation, at $65,307, with benefits;

Carla McCoy, TPE teacher of English language learners at Borough Elementary Schools, effective Aug. 21, pending receipt of documentation, at $52,688, with benefits;

Danielle LaBarge, special education instructional assistant at Northampton Area High School, effective Aug. 21, at $12.07 per hour, with benefits;

Shelley Ladd, special education instructional assistant at Northampton Area Middle School, effective Aug. 21, at $12.07 per hour, with benefits;

Julie DeGroot as a category I, group C secretary, effective Aug. 14, at $20.09 per hour; and

Megan Morey, third-shift custodian (Monday through Friday) at NAHS, effective July 5, at $19.26 per hour;

Also, at the June 26 board meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to accept the resignation of:

Ann Savkova, English teacher, for early retirement, effective June 7;

Kevin Mann, head softball coach, effective June 13; and

Gary Bachman, custodian, for retirement, effective Aug. 18;

School directors also voted 9-0 at the June 26 meeting to approve:

An extension to Rachel Knepp for her unpaid child rearing leave of absence, Aug. 21 through Oct. 6, with insurance;

A paid childbearing leave of absence for Stephanie Maurer, beginning on or about Oct. 23 through Nov. 29, and an unpaid child rearing leave, Nov. 30 through Dec. 22, with insurance; and

A paid leave of absence for Michael Moser, June 5-7, and an unpaid leave of absence, June 8-23, with insurance;

School directors also voted 9-0 at the June 26 meeting to approve:

A revised list of professional and support staff transfers effective with the 2017-18 school year; and

A listing of stipends for athletic events for the 2017-18 school year, effective July 1 through June 30, 2018.