The District Level Comprehensive Plan 2019-23 is available for public review on the Northampton Area School District website, nasdschools.org, and at district school buildings and the Northampton Area Public Library, 1615 Laubach Ave.

“Our comprehensive plan is a plan put together by our district community,” Lydia Hanner, NASD director of curriculum and instruction, announced at the Sept. 24 board of education meeting.

She said in addition to administration officials, teachers and students, community members, including parents and businessmen and women, contributed to the plan.

The five-year plan includes “an action plan, where we’ve been, where we’re going and concerns we have,” Hanner explained.

Approximately 84 persons contributed to the plan. The first meeting on the plan was held in June 2017.

The comprehensive plan assists NASD to “plan, develop and manage a continuous program and plan of action in order to safely and appropriately educate the students of the Northampton Area School District as well as maintain compliance with state and federal mandates,” according to a statement on the district website.

Those with questions about the plan are to contact Hanner at hannerl@nasdschools.org or 610-262-7811, ext. 20201.

Consideration of a vote on the 132-page comprehensive plan is expected to be on the agenda of the 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 school board meeting in the administration building, 2014 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

The next school board meeting, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8, will be held in the cafeteria of Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

The board meeting follows the Act 34 public hearing on the Lehigh Elementary School project, set for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8, also in the NAHS cafeteria.

The Act 34 booklet, 54 pages detailing the Lehigh Elementary School project, with a maximum cost of $35,788,356, can also be found on the NASD website.

Meanwhile, at the Sept. 24 NASD school board meeting, there was no mention of the federal lawsuit faced by NASD and Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 concerning an alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old female student with special needs said to have occurred in December 2017.

At the Sept. 24 meeting, school directors voted 9-0, without discussion, to approve an addendum under new business to the agenda: “Engagement Letter for the Levin Legal Group, P.C. for representation of the parties named and the Letter and Concurrent Letter of Representation for the Levin Legal Group, P.C. for concurrent representation of the parties named in the Letter and in accordance with the acknowledgment and consent of each of the parties named in the Letter.”

NASD school board solicitor Attorney C. Steven Miller was not immediately available after the Sept. 24 meeting for questions concerning the letter.

After the Sept. 24 meeting, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said he is unable to comment on district legal matters.

The school board met in executive session before and planned to meet after the Sept. 24 meeting for personnel and legal matters, Kovalchik announced at the start of the meeting.

In other business at the Sept. 24 meeting, the school board voted 9-0 to approve:

• Ryan Leitch, long-term substitute math teacher, Northampton Area Middle School, second semester 2018-19 school year, at $278.48 per diem;

• Elizabeth Kish, short-term substitute kindergarten teacher, George Wolf Elementary School, Nov. 2-March 15, 2019, at $150 per diem, no benefits;

• Tina Vozzo, 1:1 instructional assistant, NAHS, Oct. 9, pending documentation, at $12.59 per hour, with benefits;

• Nicole Pryce, instructional assistant, NAHS, Oct. 1, pending documentation, at $14.95 per hour, with benefits;

• Megan Gogal, special education instructional assistant, Lehigh Elementary School, Oct. 9, pending documentation, at $12.59 per hour, with benefits;

• Lloyd Graff, hall monitor, NAHS, Sept. 25, pending documentation, at $12.59 per hour, with benefits;

• Jessica Boandl, paid leave of absence for medical reasons, Oct. 18-Nov. 13, and unpaid leave of absence, Nov. 14-15;

• Jacqueline Grady, paid childbearing leave of absence, Nov. 19-Jan. 4, 2019, and unpaid childrearing leave, Jan. 7-17, 2019, with insurance;

• Revised list of professional and support staff transfers for 2018-19 school year;

• Additions and deletions to substitute listing for 2018-19 school year;

• Revised master district volunteer list for 2018-19 school year;

• Additions to extracurricular staff members and stipends for 2018-19 school year;

• Additions to athletic coaching staff members and stipends list for 2018-19 school year;

• Revised community education roster of instructors and stipends for 2018-19 school year;

• Attendance of Matthew Sawarynski and Jason Williamson, annual PASBO conference, Hershey, March 5-8, at approximate cost of $2,000;

• Attendance of Donna Teklits, annual Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel Administrators conference, Feb. 27 and 28 and March 1, 2019, Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey, at estimated cost to district of $788.50;

• Attendance of Kimberly Mooney, 2018 Pennsylvania Principals conference, Hershey, Oct. 14-15, at approximate cost of $567, included in 2018-19 curriculum budget; and

• Attendance of Dr. Lori Kuhns, 2018 Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness conference, Harrisburg, Oct. 24-25, at approximate cost of $584.72, included in 2018-19 curriculum budget.