The finance committee of Northampton Area School District Board of Education is recommending additional budget cuts.

These include, but are not limited to, ending funding of Northampton Area Public Library and stopping the community education program if the latter cannot break even.

Recommendations of the finance committee at its April 2 meeting in the library conference room of Northampton Area High School must be approved by the NASD school board.

The recommendations may be considered for a vote at the next board meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. April 13 in the auditorium at NAHS, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

The deficit for the 2026-27 NASD budget was put at $9.3 million by NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman at the March 9 board meeting.

The 2026-27 preliminary budget initially had a deficit of $12.7 million, based on expenditures of $154.8 million and revenue of $142.1 million, when presented by Neiman at the Jan. 12 school board meeting.

“You have one month to put a proposed budget together,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said at the April 2 finance committee meeting.

The board needs to make its budget recommendation at the April 13 meeting. The proposed final budget must be presented at the 6:30 p.m. May 11 board meeting. The budget must be advertised and be available for public inspection 30 days before the school board vote on the final budget.

The school board must vote on the final budget at the 6:30 p.m. June 15 meeting. Commonwealth law requires school boards to finalize district budgets by June 30.

One option presented by Neiman is a tax increase of 4.2%, the maximum Act 1 Index allowed, based on a 2.46 millage increase, which would generate $3,454,302 in revenue, for a $154.84 average annual tax bill increase and $12.90 monthly tax increase based on the district average 2025 homestead assessment of $63,000.

The school board voted unanimously at the Dec. 1, 2025, meeting to not raise the rate of any tax for the 2026-27 fiscal year by more than its index. The maximum Act 1 Index allowed NASD by the state for the 2026-27 budget is 4.2%.

Kovalchik presented five options at the April 2 meeting which he, Neiman and the administration are proposing.

“We created more options. There are five different options,” Kovalchik said.

Under personnel, in technology, possibly one or two positions could be eliminated because of retirements. Positions in maintenance might provide savings because of retirements. Teacher vacancies in special education are another possibility for reductions.

“We’re increasing case loads in special education,” Kovalchik said.

“At the end of the day, you’re pushing 30 positions (eliminated or not filled),” Kovalchik added.

Personnel reductions may shave $2.6 million from the budget deficit.

Two areas of budget reductions or potential revenue will not be known until after the June 30 budget deadline.

Kovalchik said additional savings may result in bus transportation costs because of redistricting and streamlining bus stops and routes, but the amount of the reduction probably won’t be known until summer.

Proceeds from the sale of district buildings that are to be closed, including the district administration, Franklin Elementary and Washington Technology Center buildings, all in Northampton, and possibly Moore Elementary School, are not likely to be received until Christmas, Kovalchik said.

The $2 million earmarked for Moore Elementary might be moved to the district capital fund.

Other reductions that could be realized include $1 million by eliminating the capital reserve transfer, $576,000 by not purchasing new chrome computer books (or $140,000 by not purchasing chrome books for kindergarten students), $25,000 by not allowing facilities use by non NASD school groups, $16,000 (estimate) by ending the community education program and $270,000 by not funding Northampton Area Public Library.

Additional reductions might include $15,000 by reducing professional development, $12,000 by eliminating indoor air-quality testing, $50,000 by adjusting district building temperature settings and $715,000 by eliminating 10-month building secretaries.

Discussed was the possibility of charging a student activity fee for participation in middle school and high school athletic teams and band, orchestra and chorus. A $250 fee per student for extracurricular activities was mentioned. Whether this could be implemented in time for the 2026-27 school year is uncertain.

Discontinuing student clubs, which could save $200,000, or charging fees for clubs was also discussed.

The district policy committee is to discuss student activity fees.

Eliminating middle school world language could save $560,000. However, committee members favored keeping instruction in German and Spanish but not French.

Kovalchik said, “First of all, it’s not all doom and gloom,” citing success by NASD academic and vocational students and athletic teams and newer district facilities such as Northampton Area Middle School, Lehigh Elementary School and the soon-to-be-opened East Allen Elementary School and Education Center, the latter for the 2026-27 school year.

The district finance committee is next scheduled to meet 6 p.m. May 7 in the NAHS library conference room.