Northampton Area School District is to receive an additional $1.9 million in education funding for the 2022-23 school year.

“What it looks like is we’re going to be receiving, in basic education subsidy money, $1,603,391, and in special education, $346,312,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said July 11.

“There’s also school safety security and mental health grants of $368,000. It has to be used for those two areas,” Kovalchik added.

The education funding increase is in Pennsylvania’s $45.2 billion budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, approved July 8 and signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The commonwealth budget has an $850 million increase for the 500 kindergarten through grade 12 school districts. The budget increases funds for the poorest school districts by $225 million. An additional $525 million, under the Fair Funding Formula, distributes funds to Pennsylvania schools. There’s $100 million for special education.

There’s a state child tax credit equal to 30% of the federal credit and a one-time 70% property tax rebate for senior citizens.

The NASD windfall is expected to be announced at the next board of education meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. July 18 in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave.

“We’ve already approved our (district) budget with a zero-percent tax increase. As to what we’re going to do with those (additional state) funds, that’s a discussion we’re going to have internally and then with the board of education,” Kovalchik said.

The NASD board of education voted unanimously June 13 to approve the district 2022-23 general fund budget of $120,476,097, food service fund of $2,450,035 and athletic fund of $261,224 with no tax increase.

“Some initial thoughts are to use the money for academic resources,” Kovalchik said, citing technology, staff and student needs. “It may be used to reduce some of our class sizes and hire some additional staff.

“And the other area is to look at some of our facilities’ needs, such as HVAC and roofing,” said Kovalchik. “And then the third thing is that we’re probably going to want to save some of that money.”

Kovalchik was to participate in July 11 and 12 education funding webinars.

“Matt (Matthew Sawarynski, NASD business administrator) and I figured there would be some kind of increase, going back to the fall when we started having conversations with the state,” Kovalchik said.

“We’ve always been a proactive group in the area of trying to be forward thinking,” said Kovalchik, of the NASD administration and school board. “That was one of the reasons that the administration recommended a zero-percent tax increase to the board of education. We were anticipating an increase in funding.

“The money’s much appreciated, but there’s work that needs to be done in Harrisburg toward funding schools,” Kovalchik added.

“Number one is the charter school funding formula - and also the increase in funding for special education services. I still think, somehow, some way, the state has to figure out a way to provide property tax relief, especially for seniors,” Kovalchik said.

The increase in state education funding is attributed to federal COVID-19 relief money, specifically, under Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, and higher than anticipated revenue.

Under the 2022-23 state budget, Whitehall-Coplay School District is to receive an extra $1.8 million; Catasauqua Area School District, $450,486; Nazareth Area School District, $1.5 million; Saucon Valley School District, $450,255; and Parkland Area School District, $2.5 million.