Facilities committee members of the board of education of Northampton Area School District are recommending to curb some projects. Among these are the replacement of a district baseball field fence and the Northampton Area High School auditorium stage lighting system.

By consensus at the committee meeting April 20 in the NAHS library conference room, members decided to scale back the fence project and put the lighting project on hold. They cited the district budget deficit.

An NAHS roof repair project is moving forward.

The district faces a budget deficit of approximately $2.8 million, as announced at the April 13 school board meeting. That’s down from a deficit of $9.3 million, announced at the March 9 board meeting.

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

At the April 13 meeting, the school board voted to not approve the transfer of $500,000 from the general fund to the capital reserve for future capital improvements effective April, to not approve the transfer of $2 million of allocated funds for Moore Elementary School to the capital reserve for future capital improvements effective April and to not approve the transfer of $1 million from the general fund to the capital reserve for capital improvements for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

At the Feb. 17 facilities committee meeting, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said to committee members, “I wouldn’t do any capital improvements unless in dire circumstances.”

The March 16 facilities committee meeting was canceled.

The replacement of the district baseball field fence with a wind screen would cost an estimated $36,973, said NASD Director of Operations Jonathan Jenny, who chaired the facilities meeting April 20.

“The (fence) wind screens have been twisted,” Jenny said.

Fence repairs would cost an estimated $4,400, Jenny reported.

“We’re not trying to play hardball,” facilities committee member school Director Joshua Harris said.

By consensus, facilities committee members Harris, school Director Zachary Kromer and school board President John Becker recommended the baseball field fence be repaired but not replaced.

Absent was facilities committee member school Director Ross Makary.

Replacement of the NAHS auditorium stage lighting system would cost an estimated $151,000, Jenny said. The estimate is from Pittsburgh Stage Inc., Sewickley, Allegheny County, the firm that replaced the auditorium stage curtains.

“That is actually a low figure,” said Arif Fazil, senior business development leader at CHA Consulting Inc., district engineering consultant.

Replacement of the stage lighting has been on the district capital improvement plan.

“They do lighting. They don’t do sound,” Jenny said of Pittsburgh Stage.

Kromer asked if the stage lighting system is safe.

“This isn’t a safety issue that the lights are going to fall,” replied Fazil.

It was said stage lighting is rented for theater productions in the auditorium.

“The sound system would need to be replaced, but I don’t think it would be as high (in cost),” Jenny said.

The project to repair a portion of the NAHS roof is to begin June 8 and be completed by Aug. 17, Jenny reported.

Fazil said he and administration officials met with state and federal elected officials to lobby for approval of a grant to help fund the NAHS roof repair project.

The school board voted at its Feb. 9 meeting to authorize CHA Consulting to apply for the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program. Because receiving the grant is uncertain, the school board voted at the February meeting to approve partial NAHS roof restoration and masonry repairs.

The school board approved Proposal 1 by WTI General Contracting of $1,602,433 for a portion of the NAHS roof repairs. The board voted to delay approval of Proposal 2 by WTI General Contracting of $1,424,951 until July 17.

The Al Erdosy Stadium turf replacement project is set to begin June 8 after the last day for the 2025-26 school year, June 4, Jenny said, with work substantially done by Aug. 3, in time for the start of football practice and completion by Aug. 20.

“Aug. 3 is when the teachers come back,” Jenny said.

“The back parking lot will be closed (for the summer). We’re going to use it as a staging area for the turf and roof projects,” Jenny said, adding that the baseball field will be closed this summer. “I can’t have them over there because of safety.”

Becker asked about a depression, where there previously was a sink hole, on the field in Erdosy Stadium.

“We noticed it. It goes under the track. We’re going to take a look at it,” Jenny said.

“There were all sorts of structures under there ... tunnels that went over to the cement company,” Fazil said.

The trash hauler contract with Charles Chrin Companies, Easton, will be extended for two years, Jenny reported. The first year of the contract will remain at $6,692.41 annually. The second year of the contract will have a 4% increase.

There may be savings for the district because of building closures.

“The (NAHS) gym will be closed this summer. They are replacing a window and doing brick work,” Jenny said.

The project to replace the NAHS fire panel and sensor, estimated to cost $160,000, was discussed at the February facilities meeting and is under consideration.

At the February meeting, the facilities committee discussed a chiller project at George Wolf Elementary School, Bath, estimated to cost $800,000. A second chiller unit is in use at the school. The facilities committee recommendation is to wait to replace the Wolf chiller.

Washington Technology Center, the district administration building and Franklin Elementary School, all in Northampton, and Moore Elementary School, Moore Township, will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year. East Allen Elementary School and Education Center, East Allen Township, opens for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

District buildings are expected to close for two to three weeks this summer because of hardware transfers to East Allen Elementary School.

School directors voted at the April 13 meeting to close and list for sale the Washington, district administration, Franklin and Moore buildings.

The district administration has said it is uncertain how much revenue the sale of the buildings will generate and that proceeds are not anticipated to be received in time to alleviate the 2026-27 budget deficit.

The proposed final NASD 2026-27 budget is to be presented at the next scheduled school board meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. May 11 in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave.

The proposed final budget must be advertised and available for public inspection 30 days before a board vote. The board is expected to 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.

The NASD finance committee will be meeting 6 p.m. May 7 in the NAHS library conference room.

The NASD facilities committee will next meet 6 p.m. May 18 in the NAHS library conference room.