Log In


Reset Password
LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

School district working on redistricting plan for students

With East Allen Elementary School expected to open for classes in approximately one year for the 2026-27 academic year, plans for Northampton Area School District redistricting are underway.

Redistricting can pertain to schools that students attend, bus routes, bus stops and student pickup and drop-off times.

“We have been working on the redistricting plan and will be for the next few months,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said in his report to the board of education at its June 16 meeting.

NASD is not only opening a new elementary school but expects to close several buildings in the district, including the Franklin building, for kindergarten students; the Washington building, where the district information technology department is located; and the administration building, where Kovalchik and his staff work.

“At the July school board meeting, we’ll probably have the official closure of Franklin, Washington and the administration building (on the agenda),” Kovalchik said.

The NASD website lists the agenda for the July 21 school board meeting, which includes a vote on the closing of district buildings for the 2026-27 school year.

The recommended action by the administration is to approve the closure of Franklin Elementary School, district administration building, Moore Elementary School and Washington Technology Center for the 2026-27 school year.

The administration also recommends the school board approve listing the following district buildings for sale: Franklin Elementary School, district administration building and Washington Technology Center.

The agenda item notes: ”The district will retain ownership of Moore Elementary and the surrounding property. It will reopen as a school at a date to be determined by the board of education.”

Construction of East Allen Elementary, Route 329 and Seemsville Road, East Allen Township, began in November 2023. A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site Sept. 19, 2024. In addition to the elementary school, the facility will include the IT department and administration center.

Moore, constructed in 1957 with additions and renovations in 1966, 1973 and 2001, is on 17.75 acres at 2835 Mountain View Drive (Route 946), Moore Township, in the northeast area of the 97.3-square-mile school district. Moore is a mostly one-story building, with a two-story classroom wing for a total 97,600 square feet.

Talks to keep Moore open reached a crescendo at a town-hall meeting April 4, 2024, at the school, attended by an estimated 200.

The NASD administration and school board has considered several options for Moore, including proposals for various stages of renovation, complete renovation or demolition of the school with a new school to be built on the site.

The 2025-26 NASD budget listed a reduction of $900,910 resulting from a savings for Moore Elementary School. NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman, in his budget update at the March 10 board meeting, attributed the savings to pushing back the reopening of Moore Elementary to 2028.

Neiman’s budget presentation preceded the school board 6-2 vote at the March 10 meeting to table renovations to Moore Elementary.

The school board vote at the March 10 meeting defeated an amendment to an agreement for engineering services between NASD and CHA Consulting Inc. (formerly D’Huy Engineering Inc.) to include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary School and a contract addendum for architectural/engineering services for the Moore Elementary School renovation project between NASD and KCBA Architects to include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary School.

Three options, or combinations thereof, for Moore Elementary have been estimated at partial renovation, $27,432,953; full renovation, $53,975,006; and demolition and replacement, $73,068,090.

Moore renovations, estimated to take two years and cost $51 million, were scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The plan was for Moore to reopen in fall 2028 when students would return there for the 2028-29 school year.

The school board voted 7-2 at the Jan. 13 meeting for a complete building renovation of Moore estimated at $51 million.

NASD elementary schools for the 2025-26 school year include Moore Elementary School, 2835 Mountain View Drive (Route 946), Moore Township; George Wolf Elementary School, 300 Allen St., Bath; Lehigh Elementary School, 800 Blue Mountain Drive, Lehigh Township; Franklin building (kindergarten), 855 Lincoln Ave., Northampton; and Siegfried building (grades 1-5), 1677 Lincoln Ave., Northampton.

New housing developments and possible increase in student enrollment are factors in the redistricting plan.

“A lot of people were under the impression that all the students were going to East Allen for the 26-27 school year. That’s not the case,” Kovalchik said to the board June 16.

The present district attendance map is on the NASD website, nasdschools.org/page/attendance-map-current.

Kovalchik said at the June 16 meeting that the new redistricting plan is expected to be unveiled by Thanksgiving.

In other business at the June 16 board meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to approve substitute rates for the 2025-26 school year, effective July 1, including the following.

• Instructors — day-to-day substitutes: $157 per day; and short-term substitute teachers: $188 per day (46-75 days) and $235 per day (76-89 days)

• Substitute nurse: $188 per day

• Secretaries: $16 per hour

• Instructional assistants: $16 per hour

• Lunchroom and hall monitors: $16 per hour

• Security guards: $15 per hour; $17 per hour for 46-90 days in a continuous assignment; and $20 per hour for 90-180 days in a continuous assignment

Other board approvals included the attendance of Vicki Kropf, director of special education, at the Local Task Force Capacity-Building Institute at Wyndham Gettysburg Hotel and Conference Center, July 8-10, at an approximate cost of $177.80 for mileage reimbursement; the Northampton Area High School additional targeted support and improvement plan, July 1-June 30, 2026; and clubs for the 2025-26 school year, which include Girls on the Run, George Wolf Elementary School; Sewing Club, Northampton Area Middle School; Page Turners Book Club, Borough Elementary Schools; Mind Matters Club, NAHS; Presentation Club, NAHS; and NAMS Book Club, Northampton Area Middle School.

The board of education is scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. July 21 in the auditorium at NAHS, 1619 Laubach Ave.

The July 22 facilities committee meeting has been canceled.

None