Northampton Area School District is working to vaccinate teachers and staff and furthering efforts to return students to full-time, in-person instruction, according to administration.

“We’re well on our way to getting our staff vaccinated,” NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik reported to school directors at the March 8 board of education meeting, held in the Northampton Area Middle School cafeteria.

Approximately 800 NASD employees are eligible to receive the vaccine, which the administration is making voluntary.

“We have over 90 percent who want to get the vaccine,” Kovalchik said. “It seems to be picking up steam in a positive way.”

NASD has been allocated 264 shots of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. It is to be administrated at Colonial Intermediate Unit 20’s Colonial Academy, 1353 Jacobsburg Road, Wind Gap.

“We have 264 staff members who are getting vaccinated,” Kovalchik said. “We had close to 200 staff vaccinated through Monday.”

Kovalchik lauded the help of Newhard Pharmacy, Northampton, in vaccinating district staff with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine last month.

Dr. Michael Baird, NASD school board representative to IU-20, where he is board president, had praise for Kovalchik and the NASD administration for coordinating efforts to get NASD personnel scheduled for vaccinations.

“Joe and our administration did a tremendous job with the IU,” Baird said at the school board meeting. “It was a monumental task in a short period of time. When the governor announced the vaccine, the IU worked pretty darn hard to coordinate the number of teachers to get the vaccine.

“Joe got it done Sunday,” Baird said. “I’m glad we have everything in place to get the vaccine.”

Kovalchik and his staff worked over the weekend to provide the requested information.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency are working with 27 intermediate units in the commonwealth, excluding Philadelphia.

Vaccination sites, expected to begin operations March 10-13, will be open noon-8 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. These sites will be staffed by the Pennsylvania National Guard and AMI Expeditionary Healthcare LLC, which has been contracted by the department of health.

IU-20 serves 13 school districts and three career and technical centers in Northampton, Monroe and Pike counties. Northampton County schools, in addition to NASD, are Nazareth Area School District, Bangor Area School District, Pen Argyl Area School District, Bethlehem Area School District, Saucon Valley School District, Wilson Area School District and Easton Area School District.

The single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine received U.S. Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization Feb. 27.

Prekindergarten to grade 12 public school and nonpublic schoolteachers, administrators, bus drivers and other school support and contracted staff will be among the first to receive the vaccine in Pennsylvania.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, priority for the vaccinations will be given to school staff “who have regular and sustained in-person contact with students during the regular school day.

NASD elementary school students in kindergarten and first and second grades returned to four-day in-person instruction March 9.

NASD elementary school students in third, fourth and fifth grades and NAMS sixth-grade students are to return to four-day in-person classes March 23.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Doug Vaughn, of Lehigh Township, thanked Kovalchik and the school board for bringing students back to school buildings but urged for more students to be returned for in-person classroom instruction.

“A goal should be set to get all the students back,” Vaughn said.

In his report to the board of education, Kovalchik said he is more optimistic about the 2021-22 NASD budget.

“Supposedly, there’s money for public education. We’re still not sure how much is in there,” Kovalchik said, referring to the United States House of Representatives’ scheduled vote March 9 on the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, which was approved March 6 by the U.S. Senate, and provides $82 billion in aid for K-12 schools, as well as colleges.

The NASD school board voted 8-1 at the Jan. 25 meeting to approve the preliminary budget of $114,852,606, food service fund of $2,502,658 and athletic fund of $257,494.

“There are a lot of unknown financials in regards to revenues,” Kovalchik said in reference to the budget. “But I will say it’s looking better than before with the first round of stimulus money and now the second round. Six months ago, I wasn’t so optimistic, but I am now.”

Kovalchik announced the Northampton Area High School Class of 2021 graduation will be held 7 p.m. June 4 at Al Erdosy Stadium, with rain dates of June 5 and 6.

“I’m not sure of the spectators who will be allowed in because of changing COVID restrictions,” Kovalchik said.

NASD summer classes will be held in three sessions in the subjects of reading, English and math.

“It’s for remediation and enrichment. We call it the COVID lag,” Kovalchik said.

Students in kindergarten through grade 11 may attend the sessions, set to begin June 14, with the third session continuing into August.

“I’m pretty excited about that,” Kovalchik said of the summer classes.

The NASD Board of Education is next scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. March 22 in the NAMS cafeteria, 1617 Laubach Ave., Northampton.

The meeting is open to the public. COVID-19 protocol, including the wearing of face masks and social distancing in seating, is required.