Five retirements have been approved in Northampton Area School District, including that of the director of technology and two staff members in the department.

The retirements occur as the NASD Board of Education and administration consider restructuring the technology department and eliminating positions in an effort to reduce the deficit of the 2026-27 NASD budget. Any proposed changes would need to be approved by the school board.

Approved by a 9-0 unanimous vote by the school board at its meeting April 13, at the recommendation of the administration, were the resignations for retirement of Kurt Paccio, director of technology at the technology building, effective Aug. 16; Patricia Gaetaniello, supervisor of data and information services at the technology building, effective Aug. 16; and Michael Bankes, supervisor of network and audio visual systems at the technology building, effective Aug. 16.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said the administration is recommending reducing 30 positions for the 2026-27 school year.

NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman, at the March 9 school board meeting, said NASD staff reductions by classification are 5% for administration, 3% for teachers and 4% for support staff. The reductions were said to be the result of district redistricting and program changes.

Neiman said staffing adjustments resulted in a budget reduction of $2 million, which includes salaries and benefits.

School directors at the April 13 board meeting unofficially favored overall cuts and adjustments that would reduce the NASD 2026-27 proposed budget deficit to $2.8 million. The deficit had been reduced to $9.3 million, according to the board meeting budget presentation March 9.

The 2026-27 preliminary budget, with a deficit of $12.7 million deficit based on expenditures of $154.8 million and revenue of $142.1 million, was presented at the Jan. 12 board meeting.

The proposed final budget is to be presented at the next school board meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. May 11 in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

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

The school board is expected to vote on the final budget at its June 15 meeting. Commonwealth law requires school boards to finalize district budgets by June 30.

The proposed budget would use $2.8 million from the fund balance. A tax increase of 4.2% would generate $3,454,000 for the proposed budget.

There could be additional changes to the budget depending on recommendations of the school board finance committee meeting, planned for 6 p.m. May 7 in the library conference room at NAHS.

Approved by a 9-0 unanimous vote of the school board at its meeting April 13, at the recommendation of the administration, were the resignations for retirement of Daniel Rodrigues, maintenance supervisor at the maintenance building, effective Sept. 4; and Julie DeGroot, 10-month secretary at NAHS, effective the last day of the 2025-26 school year.

Three retirements were approved at the Sept. 8, 2025, board meeting; one retirement was approved at the Oct. 13, 2025, school board meeting; one retirement was approved at the Nov. 10, 2025, school board meeting; three retirements were approved at the Dec. 1, 2025, school board meeting; four retirements were approved at the Jan. 12 board meeting; 11 retirements were approved at the Feb. 9 school board meeting; and no retirements were approved at the March 9 school board meeting.

In other business at the April 13 meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to approve, at the recommendation of the administration, the following.

• Maria Martuscelli, head custodian at Northampton Area Middle School, as of July 1, at $31.27 per hour, with an additional $2 per hour rate for working head custodian, with benefits

• “Supporting Student Success: Summer Transition Program for School Counselors” and their per diem rate to work during the summer. Salaries will be paid through the 2025-26 Title IV grant.

• Revised list of 2025-26 NASD fall season head coaches and assistant coaches, contingent upon receipt and approval of relevant employment requirements, with their designated payments, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30

• Full-time NASD staff, substitutes, coaches and extracurricular staff to work athletic events and approve the revised listing of part-time seasonal athletic event staff for the 2025-26 school year, effective Aug. 1, 2025, through June 30

• Adopt the 2026-27 Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School budget of $17,090,354, with the NASD portion of $3,679,566 required to fund the budget

• Adopt the 2026-27 Northampton Community College budget of $81,663,168 with the NASD portion of $1,140,625 required to fund the budget

• Bids for paper and janitorial supplies of $111,156.92 awarded by Northampton, Monroe, Pike County Joint Purchasing Board

• Cleaning, maintenance and general supply bids for 2026-27: general, $27,386.23; cleaning, $85,438.98; and maintenance, $57,044.01, for a total of $169,869.22

• Service order contract with Astound Business Solutions LLC to move Data Hub fiber-optic network relocation services at a cost of $21,285

• Collaborative memorandum of understanding for services between Community Services for Children Inc., Head Start of the Lehigh Valley and NASD for the 2026-27 school year

• Reappoint William Jefferson as trustee and appoint Parker Flamisch as trustee, effective March 1-Dec. 31, 2028, of Northampton Area Public Library

• Elect Dr. Michael Baird to Northampton Community College board of trustees, effective July 1-June 30, 2032