A new Northampton Area School District business administrator has been appointed.

By a unanimous 9-0 vote at the Jan. 28 NASD Board of Education meeting, Matthew Sawarynski was appointed business administrator, effective July 1 through June 30, 2022, at an initial salary of $125,000.

Sawarynski, NASD assistant business administrator for three years, succeeds NASD Business Administrator Terry Leh, who is retiring this year.

“Matt brings a wealth of private and public business experience to our district,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said. “Based on those various experiences and his work in the district the last three years, we are confident he will explore ways to improve the district financially without jeopardizing the growth of the organization.”

Previously, Sawarynski, a certified public accountant and a certified school administrator, was Palmerton Area School District’s business administrator for one year. Before that, he worked in the private sector for 20 years.

Sawarynski is a Liberty High School, Class of 1991, graduate and a Slippery Rock University, Class of 1995, graduate, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

Sawarynski and his wife, Andrea, and their children, Anthony, a Northampton Area High School senior, and Andrew, an NAHS sophomore, reside in the school district.

In other business at the Jan. 28 meeting, school directors voted 9-0, at the recommendation of the administration, to approve:

• The authorization for the NASD school board president to accept the terms and conditions of the Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors’ Jan. 8 conditional approval of the preliminary-final land development plan for the Lehigh Elementary School project

• PlanCon Part F for the construction documents and submission of PlanCon Part F to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for approval for the Lehigh Elementary School project

• The authorization to execute the grant of right of way to PPL Electric Utilities Corp. for construction of poles and related electric facilities along Blue Mountain Drive frontage at Lehigh Elementary School

• Camp Invention summer enrichment program, June 17-20, Northampton Area Middle School, with a student cost for the four-day summer STEM activities program at $150, grades 2-5, and $130, grades 6-8. Reduced prices have been made possible by a contribution from Northampton Area Konkrete Kids Educational Foundation. There is no cost to the district for the program.

• The hiring of Ashley Armstrong, special education teacher, Siegfried Elementary School, effective retroactive to Jan. 22 through the 2018-19 school year, at a salary of $290.97 per diem

• The resignation of Barbara Bleacher, special education lead teacher, for retirement, effective June 5

• The appointment of Cassandra Evanczik as a trustee for Northampton Area Public Library’s board, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2021

• The attendance of Emily Reinsmith and one student at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 10 Chorus Festival, Feb. 7-9, at Exeter Township High School, Reading. The student is attending Feb. 7-9. Reinsmith is attending Feb. 7. The approximate cost is $235, included in the board-approved 2018-19 budget.

• Revised curricula for NAMS and NAHS for math, STEAM, health, oceanography, earth and space science and AP psychology

• Revised job descriptions for director of special education, assistant director of special education, middle school teacher and technology technician, effective Jan. 29

• Adoption of revised and new policies, effective Jan. 15, for procurement cards, school vehicle drivers and contracted services personnel

• Enrollment agreement with Career Institute of Technology for special education students for the 2018-19 school year at a per-student cost of $76.31 per enrollment day. The costs are part of the 2018-19 board-approved special education budget.

• Letter of agreement and fee schedule between the district and Vantagen LLC to administer the NASD flexible spending account benefit plan, July 1-June 30, 2021, with option to renew for an additional two years

• The acceptance, with appreciation, of the donation of a string bass, with an estimated value of $500, from Ginny Wingard

• The acceptance, with appreciation, of the donation of $200 from Friends of Tomcat for purchase of third-grade books at George Wolf Elementary School