Increased kindergarten enrollment in two elementary schools for the 2019-20 school year has necessitated the hiring of two kindergarten teachers in Northampton Area School District.

Enrollment increases occurred at George Wolf Elementary School, Bath, and Lehigh Elementary School, Lehigh Township.

The NASD Board of Education voted 9-0 at its Aug. 12 meeting to hire Gina VanLuvanee at George Wolf Elementary School, at an annual salary of $53,366 with benefits, and Kristin Burger at Lehigh Elementary School, at an annual salary of $52,755 with benefits, each effective Aug. 19.

“We had a little bit of a spike at George Wolf and Lehigh,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said after the meeting. “The kindergarten size was 23 per class.”

The NASD administration prefers a kindergarten class size of 17 to 20 students at district elementary schools, which, in addition to Wolf and Lehigh, include Col. John Siegfried Elementary School and Franklin Elementary School, both in Northampton, and Moore Elementary School, Moore Township.

Hiring two elementary teachers allows for two additional kindergarten classes, bringing enrollment to 17 students per class at Wolf and Lehigh.

“It could go up,” Kovalchik said, adding, “There are two more weeks to go before the start of classes.”

First day of classes in NASD is Aug. 26.

The administration could update the school board on kindergarten enrollment at the next board meeting, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in the district administration building, 2014 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

Preparations and activities for the 2019-20 school year are underway, Kovalchik said.

Sixty teachers participated in a data retreat to analyze statistics about students, grades and needs.

Administrators and teachers attended professional development workshops Aug. 6 and 7.

The first day of the school year for teachers is Aug. 19. Fall activities and practices, including Big ‘N’ Band and athletic teams, began Aug. 12.

The $2 million partial roof replacement project at Northampton Area High School and the $800,000 partial roof replacement project at Siegfried Elementary School are almost complete.

Kovalchik said the administration is reviewing the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s new Flexible Instruction Day policy, whereby up to five days can be counted as a school day.

The PDE requires school districts to decide criteria for the days by Sept. 1.

In other business at the Aug. 12 meeting, school directors, at the recommendation of the administration, voted 9-0 to approve:

• Continuation of the Community Education Program, with Sandra Bischof as coordinator for the 2019-20 school year at a stipend of $3,914, which is a 3-percent increase, and anticipated community education classes and roster of instructors with stipends for fall 2019

• Collaborative agreement/contract for services between Community Services for Children Inc., Head Start of the Lehigh Valley and NASD for 2019-20 to implement two Head Start Pre-Ks for 40 pre-K students residing in the district. The $40,000 cost to the district is paid for by NASD Title I funding.

• Services of a bilingual school psychologist from Therapy Source to complete an evaluation in NASD at $127.50 per hour, not to exceed $3,000

• Special education services for students with special needs provided by Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in an amount not to exceed $6,211.20, which is included in the board-approved 2019-20 budget

• Alex Heckman, short-term substitute teacher, Lehigh Elementary School, through Dec. 6, at $125 per diem with no benefits, effective Aug. 19

• Kyle Haas, security officer, at $21.57 per hour, effective Aug. 16

• Jalen Nichols, study hall instructional assistant, NAHS, at $13.07 per hour, with benefits, effective Aug. 19

• Shamarie Boreman, cafeteria monitor, Moore Elementary School, at $13.07 per hour, effective Aug. 26

• Daniele Bowman, assistant to the athletic director, at $4,000 for the fall season, effective Aug. 12

• Resignation of Yvonne Bachert, special education instructional assistant, effective July 25

• Resignation of Leo Werkheiser, maintenance employee, effective July 17

• Creation of a Middle School Student Activity Account for Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science

• Acceptance, with appreciation, of a framed lithograph of Abraham Lincoln from the Rev. Bruce Williamson