Several teachers have been approved for employment in the Northampton Area School District to replace those who have retired.

NASD Board of Education voted unanimously 9-0 at the June 11 meeting to hire:

• Ryan Hercik, elementary teacher, Siegfried Elementary School, effective Aug. 20, pending receipt of proper documentation, at $52,166, with benefits

• Ranim Sankari, elementary teacher, Siegfried Elementary School, effective Aug. 20, at $52,166, with benefits

• Taylor Kerbacher, special education teacher, Moore Elementary School, effective Aug. 20, pending receipt of proper documentation, at $51,555, with benefits

Enrollment for kindergarten through fifth grade is 2,400. Kindergarten enrollment is not determined until the first day of school. Registration is from February through the first day of school, Aug. 27.

“We’ve reduced our staff by about 30 staff members over the five years, but our enrollment has increased,” Kovalchik said in a June 4 phone interview with The Press.

NASD professional staff decreased from 403 for the 2011-12 academic year to 381 in 2017-18. Total staff decreased by 26, from 673 in 2011-12 to 647 in 2017-18.

The district has about 5,500 students.

This fall, for the 2018-19 school year, an increase of about 150 students is expected at Northampton Area High School. High school enrollment increased from 1,739 in 2011-12 to 1,850 in 2017-18.

Northampton Area Middle School enrollment is projected at 1,343 in September. Middle school enrollment increased from 1,315 in 2011-12 to 1,356 in 2017-18.

Also, at the June 11 meeting, school directors voted 9-0 to approve:

• Dylan Ashton, long-term substitute French teacher, effective Aug. 20, for the 2018-19 school year at $51,555, with benefits

• Angelina Bender, long-term substitute kindergarten teacher, George Wolf Elementary School, effective on or about Sept. 23, through on or about Feb. 12, 2019, at $278.48 per diem

• Gina VanLuvanee, short-term substitute kindergarten teacher, George Wolf Elementary School, effective on or about Nov. 2, through on or about March 15, 2019, at $150 per diem

• Amy Wright, long-term substitute guidance counselor, Northampton Area High School, effective Aug. 20, pending receipt of proper documentation, for the first semester of the 2018-19 school year, at $290.97 per diem

• Resignation of Michael Papay, special education teacher, effective July 31

• Tina Carnathan-Marx, an extension to her unpaid FMLA leave of absence, through on or about June 7

• Elena Krupa, a paid childbearing leave of absence, beginning on or about Nov. 2-Dec. 7, and an unpaid FMLA child rearing leave of absence beginning Dec. 10, through on or about March 15, 2019, with insurance

• A half-year sabbatical for Carrie Abruzzi for professional development for the second semester of the 2018-19 school year

• A half-year sabbatical for Anna Zawierucha for professional development for the second semester of the 2018-19 school year

• Revised list of professional and support staff transfers effective with the 2018-19 school year

• Job descriptions for assistant director of curriculum and instruction K-8 and assistant to the superintendent, effective July 1

• Additions and deletions to the substitute listing for the 2017-18 school year

• Revised listing of student summer help, along with their compensation rate of $7.25 per hour, effective for the summer of 2018

• Dr. Kathleen Ott to attend the Pennsylvania Department of Education Title I State Parent Conference, July 10-12, at Seven Springs Resort, at no cost to the district. The cost of the conference is paid for by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

• A five-year service agreement with Lutron Services Company Inc. to provide on-site and remote response time for troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, system optimization, reports, on-site training and support that includes 100-percent Lutron parts coverage of Northampton Area Middle School’s lighting system at an annual cost of $6,181 for the term of July 1-June 30, 2023

• A five-year service agreement effective July 1-June 30, 2023, with Johnson Controls Inc. for service to the district’s HVAC direct digital controls systems at the following costs: 2018-19, $21,870; 2019-20, $22,526; 2020-21, $23,201; 2021-22, $20,881; and 2022-23, $21,508

• A four-year renewal agreement with K12 Systems Inc., Allentown, for student information system and special education software licensing, support and hosting with an annual cost of $134,644 and renewable annually

• An agreement with West Interactive Services Corporation for school messenger mass communication services at an annual cost of $1.65 per student per year from July 1 to June 30, 2022

• Continued participation in the Colonial Intermediate United 20 consortium for the purchase of life insurance through Assurant Employee Benefits for July 1-June 30, 2020, at a rate of $0.073 per $1,000 of coverage for basic life; $0.02 per $1,000 of coverage for basic accidental death and dismemberment; and $0.22 per $100 of payroll for long-term disability.