Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education voted to accept the resignation of Christy Cooper from her seat during the Aug. 11 meeting. Cooper announced at the June 9 meeting she and her family were moving out of the district, forcing her to give up her seat.

Board President Dale Hein reported they are hoping to hold interviews for the vacant seat at the next board meeting, set for 7 p.m. Sept. 7. Interested community members can contact Superintendent Dr. Christina Lutz-Doemling at lutzdoemlingc@cattysd.org.

John Carson, of the Pelorus Group, and Michelle Mozingo, of Alloy5, shared an update on the Sheckler Elementary School addition. Site preparation and planning work continues as the stormwater management system gets installed. Carson and Mozingo noted there have been no significant issues and the project is both on schedule and on budget. They are coordinating schedules with the start of the new academic year and want the transition to be as seamless as possible.

Assistant to the Superintendent Eric Dauberman noted the summer cleanup and projects are wrapping up. He gave special thanks to the maintenance and custodial teams for their hard work and especially lauded the work of student worker Alex Strohl.

Dauberman also reported they are evaluating and preparing the former YMCA building on Walnut Street now that the district owns it. Later in the meeting, the board approved an agreement with Alloy5 for a feasibility study of the property and approved the disposal of the pavilion and trailer on site.

It was also noted that, after a couple parents brought their concerns forward, some items have been identified at the baseball field to be addressed for safety reasons and better performance.

The athletics report included discussion about feeding the athletes who do not go home after school before traveling to games. Thomas Moll, director of student activities, noted they are exploring more options.

Hein thanked the borough council for approving the extended yellow lines outside of Sheckler to help increase the safety of students and families.

Catasauqua High School Principal David Todd reported the student representatives Uyen Ly and Esmeralda Serrano are excited to join the board and already have ideas to bring to the table.

During the recognition of guests and visitors, Sean O’Boyle questioned the low statistics the district reportedly shows, especially in math and reading. He said the state test statistics from the district have been consistently low, and the district’s rating may affect the number of people who will move into the area.

Lutz-Doemling reported the district’s focus is not on state testing, but rather on a more holistic “whole student” approach. They focus on other data points, such as career readiness, for which the district has been recognized by the state, as well as looking at graduation rates, mental health supports, new standards and updated systems, supporting economically disadvantaged students and other factors.

She also cited a study being done by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association into the efficacy of standardized testing and the federal accountability requirements.

Board member Shawn McGinley noted they, unlike other districts, are not focused on “teaching to the tests,” but are more concerned about helping the students be more well-rounded and prepared for life after high school.

Director of Curriculum and Assessment Melissa Inselmann also clarified that there has been improvement noted in some areas over the years, and Dauberman reported they have an issue with students transferring in and out of the district, which can keep the numbers in flux.

O’Boyle also questioned why the students aren’t given homework anymore and said it is hard for parents to help if the students don’t bring work home. Board member Lauren Cieslak reported that not all students have the support or help at home, which can lead to them falling behind or learning things wrong, which can set the class back even more if the teachers need to reteach sections.

O’Boyle was thanked by many board members for bringing his concerns to their attention and was encouraged to keep bringing his issues to the meetings. They appreciate his perspective and want parents to stay involved in the district. Catasauqua High School Principal David Todd offered to sit down with O’Boyle and go through some of the other data points the district considers.

Community member Robert Zakos also approached council to ask that an old Eagle Scout project at the former YMCA property be considered for salvaging now that the district owns the land. He said the project is in disarray but can be spruced up. Dauberman said he would look into it.

A number of personnel changes were approved in preparation for the new academic year, which will begin Aug. 24 for students.

Five teachers were approved for tenure after three years of service. They are Andrew Brett, Catasauqua Middle School grade 8 teacher; Savannah Dixon, CMS grade 5 teacher; Madison Higgins, Sheckler kindergarten teacher; Natalie Schlofer, Sheckler special education teacher; and Rachel Stephenson, CHS wellness and fitness teacher.

Madisen Shriver, of Eastern University, will work with Kimberly Labezius in third grade Aug. 17-Dec. 18.

Instructional aides were approved including 14 at Sheckler, four additional Title I aides at Sheckler, 10 at CMS and seven at CHS.

The board approved Kaitlyn Bird and Abigail Stoudt to change from daily building substitutes to substitute teachers and Angel Zhumi from CDL substitute to non-CDL substitute driver.

The board approved the resignations of Anthony Brinkley, second-grade teacher; Brynne Szabo, certified instructional aide; Courtney Schwartz, noncertified instructional aide; and Saul Font-Torres, assistant boys soccer coach.

Toshya Gonzalez, a substitute teacher, and Natalie Ramos and Katrina McGowan-Johnson, non-CDL substitute drivers, were removed from the substitute employment list. Savannah Harris-Robinson was added as a daily building substitute at Sheckler.

A handful of extracurricular positions and their stipends were also approved.

The board approved planned courses of study including STEAM courses for grades K-8 and Introduction to Statistics and Data Science, English 3 Honors, English 4, AP Literature and Composition English 4 Honors, Personal Finance and Consumer Math at CHS. These courses align with the new standards, according to Inselmann.

Additional board approvals for the 2026-27 year include the handbooks for all three district schools, the 2026-27 board goals, the CMS Targeted School Improvement Plan, a letter of agreement for Title I services with Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, a letter of agreement for Title I equitable services with Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, an agreement with Center for Humanistic Change for liaison service for the Student Assistance Program and the Innovative Arts Academy Charter School food service contract.

The second reading for policy 203 regarding immunization and communicable diseases was approved.

Board members authorized McClure Company to perform an energy assessment of the CHS exterior building systems at no cost to the district, including a review of the existing systems, identification of potential energy conservation measures and recommendations for reducing utility and operating costs.

A service maintenance agreement with BAR Fitness was approved for semiannual preventive maintenance and inspection services for the weight room equipment in the amount of $850.

The district solicitor, superintendent and business manager were designated as representatives for purposes of collective bargaining with Teamsters Local 773 concerning bus and van drivers. They have the authority to negotiate and make proposals and tentative agreements on behalf of the district.

Inselmann reported there is a yoga and mindfulness for every body outreach event planned for EL families and the wider school community. It is set for 1-2 p.m. Aug. 20 in the CMS gym.

At the end of the meeting, all the building principals thanked the custodial and building maintenance teams for getting the schools ready for the new year. Lutz-Doemling also thanked the entire district team for their hard work in preparing for the start of school.

The next board meeting is 7 p.m. Sept. 8 in the district administration board room, 201 N. 14th St.