Dr. Lori Kuhns has been named acting principal of Northampton Area Middle School. Kuhns succeeds NAMS Principal Patrice Turner.

Turner was appointed a special education teacher at Moore Elementary School, effective Dec. 17, at a salary of $94,187, prorated, with benefits.

Kuhns’ appointment was also effective as of Dec. 17, with no increase in salary.

The appointments were approved by a unanimous 9-0 vote by Northampton Area Board of Education at its Dec. 16 meeting.

Kuhns has served in several capacities in NASD, most recently as assistant director of curriculum, 2018-19.

Kuhns was principal of Lehigh Elementary School, 2012-18, and principal of Siegfried Elementary School, 2008-12. Before being hired by NASD, Kuhns was an elementary school and middle school principal in the Allentown School District.

An Emmaus High School, Class of 1991, graduate, Kuhns received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from West Chester University in 1995; a master’s degree in reading education from Bloomsburg University in 1997; a master’s in educational leadership for kindergarten through 12th grade and a principal’s certificate from Wilkes University in 2003; and a doctorate in educational leadership and administrative studies and a superintendent’s letter from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

School directors also approved the resignation of Kimberly Mooney as Northampton Area High School assistant principal, effective Jan. 10.

In other business, following a presentation by Jamie Doyle of PFM, NASD financial consultants, the school board voted 9-0 to approve:

• Issuance of General Obligation Bonds, Series A of 2020, in the maximum amount of $7 million to refund General Obligation Bonds, Series A of 2012, provided a net minimum savings of $75,000 is achieved

• Issuance of General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2020, in the maximum amount of $11.5 million to fund the next phase in the financing plan of the Lehigh Elementary School project

• Issuance of General Obligation Bonds, Series AA of 2020, in the maximum amount of $12 million to refund General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2015, provided a net minimum savings of $150,000 is achieved

The school district solicitor was approved to execute a settlement stipulation intended to be adopted as a court order of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. The court order will declare the development of the school district property related to the realignment of Seemsville Road, the construction and maintenance of stormwater collection facilities on the school district property, the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Route 329 and the realigned Seemsville Road and the extension of utility services to the school district property do not violate the deed condition requiring the school district land be used for educational and related purposes.

The court order will also declare the deed condition related to the rehabilitation and maintenance of the school district property, in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and guidelines for rehabilitating historic buildings, has no application to the school district property since it is undeveloped and vacant land and, therefore, the deed condition is null and void.

A refund of real estate taxes in the amount of $1,273 for a portion of the school district fiscal year from July 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2018, was approved. The refund is payable to MGMJ Holding Company for Tax Parcel No. M4NW2A-2-1 0522, located in Northampton and currently owned by MGMJ Holding Company (formerly owned by PAJ Ventures, L.P.).

The refund amount is based on the stipulation of counsel and a court order that provided for a settlement of the real estate tax assessment appeal filed by PAJ Ventures, L.P. in the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County at Docket No. C-48-CV-2017-9592 effective for school district fiscal years beginning July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019. It also accounted for Northampton County’s change in the assessment value effective Jan. 1, 2019, a change that superseded the change of assessment set forth in the stipulation counsel and court order for that portion of the fiscal year from Jan. 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019, and for the entire fiscal year 2019-20.

The board president was approved to execute the amendment of agreement between the school district and Statewide Tax Recovery Inc., which provides that Statewide will continue to collect delinquent per capita taxes for tax year 2018 and all prior years and that the responsibility to collect delinquent earned income taxes, delinquent occupational privilege taxes and delinquent per capita taxes for all years after 2018 shall be extinguished.

The continued duty to collect delinquent per capita taxes shall end May 31, 2021, at which time the agreement will terminate and all tax records related to any remaining uncollected delinquent per capita taxes will be returned to the district.

Also approved 9-0 by school directors:

• Katie Peluszak, special education instructional assistant at NAMS, effective Jan. 6, 2020, at $13.07 per hour, with benefits

• Retirement of David Read, English teacher, effective March 26, 2020, or the last day of the third marking period of the 2019-20 school year

• Agreement for special education legal services with Eastburn and Gray P.C., effective Jan. 1, 2020

• Revised master district volunteer list for the 2019-20 school year

• Additions and deletions to the substitute listing for the 2019-20 school year