The Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School (BAVTS) is “looking for support of major projects,” the Northampton Area School District administration and Board of Education learned in a presentation by BAVTS Executive Director Adam Lazarchak at the Oct. 10 school board meeting in the NASD administration building.

The BAVTS board and administration favor the second of two options for a nearly $11 million project for an addition to its 3300 Chester Ave., Bethlehem, campus building that would improve programs for instruction in welding and auto collision repairs and add classrooms for instruction in financial services and medical and office administration, said to be Lehigh Valley “high-priority occupations.”

NASD is one of three “feeder districts” to BAVTS, with approximately 272 students in grades 10, 11 and 12 attending BAVTS. Lazarchak previously made a presentation to the board of one of the other two districts that help fund BAVTS, Saucon Valley School District, and was to make a presentation the week of Oct. 16 to the other board, Bethlehem Area School District.

After the Oct. 10 NASD board meeting, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said NASD could be expected to provided $47,000 in the 2018-19 district budget to fund the BAVTS project, if approved by the NASD board. It is estimated NASD would provide funding at that level for about six years to support a $10 million bond that Lazarchak said would be taken out by BAVTS for the project.

Lazarchak said the project supports the BAVTS mission to “support economic and community development by preparing students for the needs of the local labor market.”

Lazarchak said the project also fits in with the motto “learn here, earn here, stay here.”

BAVTS enrollment increased from 1,125 in 2008-09 to 1,391 in 2015 to 1,400 as of Sept. 21.

Lazarchak said BAVTS welding program improvements are mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), based on an evaluation to ensure that the welding equipment is “comparable to industry standards.” The equipment is said to be outdated, lacking in certain safety requirements, including air-quality standards, and the program is in need of more floor space.

The improvements were recommended by PDE six years ago.

“Now we’re hit with corrective action,” Lazarchak said. “If we don’t have these improvements, we’re in danger of losing our status, which means we’ll lose funding.”

Pennsylvania is said to have the third-highest number of welding jobs in the United States. A shortfall of 400,000 welders in the United States is anticipated by 2024. The average welder’s salary is $38,610.

There are 36 students in the BAVTS welding program. The goal is to enroll 50 students.

“Most of the time, Northampton (Area School District) has the highest number of welding students,” Lazarchak said.

The cost of BAVTS building expansion and renovation and a new parking lot is $10,787,575. Target completion date for the project is November 2018.

“I think it’s time for a name change, make it more modern,” said NASD school Director and board President David Gogel, an NASD representative on the BAVTS board. “It’s been the vo-tech for 50 years. We’ve been talking about it since I’ve been on the board for 13 years.”

BAVTS’ annual open house is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 25. For more information, call 610-866-8013.