In his second year as president of Northampton Community College, Dr. David A. Ruth reported on enrollment increases.

“Summer (2023) enrollment is up 5%. Fiscal-year enrollment has a 3% enrollment gain,” Ruth said at the Northampton Area School District Board of Education meeting Oct. 9.

Other benchmarks include the following.

• NCC is the only community college in Pennsylvania to provide on-campus housing, with accommodations for up to 600 students.

• NCC is the top choice for Northampton County area high school students to continue their education and/or training, with nearly one in four choosing to enroll at NCC.

• NCC offers more than 120 degree, certificate and specialized diploma programs and more than 800 personal and leadership development classes.

• NCC offers 34 degree programs and more than 250 courses online.

• NCC is one of the most affordable schools in Pennsylvania, with students saving more than $40,000 annually on tuition costs, compared to other area colleges and universities.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik thanked Ruth for his presentation.

In other business at the Oct. 9 board meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to approve Jennifer Hicks, Spanish teacher at Northampton Area High School, effective Jan. 3, 2024, at a salary of $64,731, prorated with benefits; Courtney Muick, long-term substitute special education teacher at NAHS, effective Nov. 2 through March 27, 2024, at a salary of $58,855, prorated; Ali Saeger, special education instructional assistant at Siegfried Elementary School, effective Oct. 23, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Ethan Valkovec, one-to-one special education instructional assistant at Northampton Area Middle School, effective Oct. 10, at $18.88 per hour; and Tina Erkinger, 12-month curriculum secretary for purchasing and operations, as of Nov. 13, at $25.54 per hour, with benefits.

Other approvals included the temporary transfer for Edward Schoeneberger, from middle-shift custodian to head custodian at NAMS, effective retroactive to Oct. 2 through Jan. 12, 2024, at a salary in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between NASD and Teamsters Local 773; resignation of Lisa Gross, hall monitor at Franklin Elementary School, effective Oct. 13; half-year sabbatical for Kristy Sterner, for professional development in the second semester of the 2024-25 school year; April Krempasky, Lauren Ezzell and Catherine Espinal to accompany 23 AP World Language students to New York City Nov. 17, at a cost of $2,658, included in the board-approved 2023-24 NAHS budget; and the attendance of three persons from the business office to attend Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials annual conference, March 5-8, 2024, at a cost of $2,300, included in the approved 2023-24 budget.

Also approved was the revised policy to adopt Title I parent and family involvement; authorization for the administration to prepare and solicit annual bids for the 2024-25 school year for maintenance/custodial supplies, instructional/general supplies, gasoline/diesel and fuel oil/natural gas; BerkOne to prepare and mail homestead applications for NASD in accordance with Act 72 of 2004 and Act 1 of 2006 at $0.4082 per mailing; agreement with TWG Security, Emmaus, for security camera system migration at a cost of $209,047.04; agreement for transportation between NASD and parents of a student with a disability; list of after-school tutoring program with lead teacher/coordinator, teachers and instructional assistants and their reimbursement in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, effective Oct. 10 through May 31, 2024, with salaries paid through American Rescue Plan set-aside grant for after-school programs; memorandum of understanding for dual enrollment programs between NASD and Lehigh University per requirements of Section 1525 of the Pennsylvania School Code; and acceptance, with appreciation, of a donation of 430 pocket-size United States Constitutions from Northampton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4714 to NAMS.

School directors voted 8-1, at the Oct. 9 board meeting, to approve new extracurricular clubs for the 2023-24 school year: Tinker-Tank Club at Moore Elementary School and Mythology Club, Baking Club and Super Kids-Kindness Crew at NAHS.

The board next meets 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in the auditorium at NAHS, 1619 Laubach Ave.