A town hall meeting is expected to be held concerning Moore Elementary School. The date and time of the meeting, to be held at Moore Elementary, has yet to be announced.

The proposal for the meeting was made by school Director Josh Harris during a three-hour Northampton Area School District Board of Education meeting Feb. 12.

“I’d like to propose we hold a town hall in Moore Elementary School,” Harris said, “to give some options and consider tax increases if necessary.”

Harris represents NASD’s Region 3, which includes Moore Township and Bath and Chapman boroughs.

“I do support that idea as well,” said school Director Kim Bretzik, who also represents Region 3. “It’s important that [district residents] understand the real situation.”

School directors, by a voice vote of 8-0, with one school director absent, agreed to hold the town hall meeting.

“I don’t have any objections. I’m fine with doing that. It’s parking and logistics that concern me,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said.

There are 117 parking spaces at Moore Elementary.

Kovalchik said he would check the district calendar and town hall participants’ schedules to determine the time and date.

The town hall would be informational, with no vote or decision expected by school board members. Because of this, there is no legal requirement for advertising, according to NASD Solicitor Kevin C. Reid.

Board President Doug Vaughn suggested they give the public one-month notice before the meeting. Kovalchik said they will look into holding it toward the end of March.

The district website will post the time and date of the town hall. School Director Kristin Soldridge recommended a notice about the event be emailed to district residents.

“It should be open to everyone,” said school Director Dr. Michael Baird.

The administration held a Moore Elementary walk-through with school directors Jan. 17.

“What I’m asking the board to do is make a final decision by the end of the fiscal school year, by June [2024],” Kovalchik said, concerning Moore Elementary.

He said he would like a decision on Moore by June because “it’s a minimum of a year and a half” to make and implement changes, adding they are going to have to allocate resources.

Kovalchik said matters to be addressed include redistricting, transportation, staffing, curriculum, teacher contracts and budget.

“It impacts all areas of the district,” he noted.

“It’s important that the board makes a decision,” Kovalchik said. “Right now, the administration is not sure if we’re planning for four or five elementary schools.”

With the Route 329 elementary school and education center project underway, Franklin Elementary School, for kindergarten students in Northampton Borough; the Washington building, which houses the district instructional technology department; and the administration building would close. Instructional technology will relocate to the Route 329 facility.

Previous plans to close Moore Elementary were reversed. Moore renovation costs depend on which option is chosen. The 2024-25 NASD preliminary budget lists $2 million committed for Moore renovation, as of October 2023.

Moore would cost an estimated $23.3 million to renovate. A partial Moore renovation estimate is $17,980,500. A full Moore renovation estimate is $36,565,500.

A straw poll of 9-0 of the previous school board at the Aug. 14, 2023, meeting backed continuing Moore as an education facility, but an official vote has not been taken.

A 28-page draft study for Moore renovation, presented Nov. 13, 2023, by Arif Fazil, D’Huy Engineering president, is available on the district website, nasdschools.org.

The Route 329 elementary school and education center is expected to cost $75,858,529.

Chris Haller, D’Huy Engineering project engineer, gave a progress report Feb. 12 on the Route 329 project at the school board meeting. Work continues on stormwater channels, site grading, water service and temporary electric service.

At the Feb. 12 meeting, Kovalchik said an update on the 2024-25 NASD preliminary budget would be presented at the 6:30 p.m. April 8 board meeting. Kovalchik and NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman made the initial NASD 2024-25 preliminary budget presentation at the Jan. 8 board meeting.

Kovalchik announced the districtwide school closure Feb. 13 was “a traditional snow day” and not a virtual instruction day. He said the determining factors are if there are at least four inches of snow and a risk of power outages.

“Students can enjoy the snow, and maybe some of the high school students can make some money shoveling snow,” Kovalchik said.

The NASD Board of Education next meets 6:30 p.m. March 11 in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.