Northampton Area School District Board of Education held its first entirely teleconferenced meeting March 23 because of social-distancing rules implemented by the state and federal government to mitigate community spread of the coronavirus.

In order to meet via teleconference, school directors voted unanimously 9-0 to approve a policy, whereby a majority of board members do not have to be physically present when a board member attends through electronic communications.

The suspension was invoked “due to the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus, which has been declared to be a pandemic,” the policy stated.

School directors also voted 9-0 via voice vote and roll call vote to approve:

• Julie Poniktera, short-term substitute autistic support teacher, Northampton Area Middle School, effective retroactive to Feb. 11 for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, at $150 per day

• Revised mentor-inductee list, including the mentors and stipend payment, for the 2019-20 school year

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

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

• Renewal agreement with Aramark Educational Services LLC to provide food service management for the 2020-21 school year

• Adoption, at the recommendation of the administration, of a resolution to update all prior school board actions or resolutions adopted for the assessment, levy and collection of the per capita tax in the amount of $5 per annum under the authority of the Local Tax Enabling Act, effective for fiscal year July 1-June 30, 2021, and each fiscal year thereafter.

The school board is next scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. April 6 and April 20 in the administration building, 2014 Laubach Ave.

Information about whether and where the school board meetings will take place is expected to be announced by NASD administration.