A Moore Township woman has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Northampton Area School District Board of Education.

Kim Bretzik, who is seeking the seat in the Nov. 2 general election, was chosen by an 8-0 vote at the Sept. 27 school board meeting.

Bretzik and the other applicant, Brian McCullough, were interviewed before the board at a special meeting Sept. 20. A third applicant did not show up for the interviews.

Bretzik was appointed to represent Moore Township, Chapman and Bath, succeeding Jennifer L. Johnson, who resigned Aug. 9 after she was appointed May 10 to replace Chuck Longacre, who resigned April 12.

The appointment of Bretzik is effective Oct. 11 at the next school board meeting. Bretzik will serve the remainder of Johnson’s term, which ends Dec. 6.

Bretzik has attended and spoken at NASD board meetings for several months and was a write-in candidate for the seat in the May primary.

School Director Dr. Michael Baird made the motion, seconded by school Director Ross Makary, to bring Bretzik’s appointment to a vote. The school directors did not speak in public at the meeting about the appointment.

In other business, the majority of the Sept. 27 school board meeting was taken up by residents objecting to the NASD face mask mandate, with the NASD solicitor defending the decision.

A school official estimated 50 in the audience in the Northampton Area High School auditorium. Face masks were required, personal items were displayed, and attendees walked through a metal detector. Three members of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department and four NASD security personnel were on duty.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik announced audience questions would be answered at the end of the public comment portion or that administrators would contact parents.

During the public comment portion of the meeting for agenda items and nonagenda items, approximately 12 persons spoke at two podiums set up in the auditorium center aisles. Of those, three spoke in favor of the school board policy requiring the wearing of face masks by students, staff and visitors in NASD buildings and on school buses.

Parents said face masks are causing health problems, attendance problems and academic problems for their children. The identities of some of the parents are not disclosed out of concern for the health privacy of their children.

“I don’t agree with the mask mandate. My kids are coming home with headaches. And then they miss school,” said a mother who has two daughters in NASD schools. “My kids have missed plenty of school over testing for COVID-19 because of a headache.”

“All four are getting headaches and nausea because of the masks,” a father said of his children.

“Earlier this year, I was pulled from the school district because of the mask mandate,” a student said.

“Because of the mask mandate, I’m being home-schooled,” another student said.

“Are we following the state order or the school board order?” resident Eric Miller asked.

In response, Atty. C. Steven Miller, NASD solicitor, said, “I can definitely appreciate the frustrations of the people who spoke tonight. I can also understand the confusion because it is confusing.”

Atty. Miller noted the NASD school board voted Aug. 23 to approve the district Health and Safety Plan.

“That plan was adopted based on community metrics that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly,” he said. “In the interval, an order came out from the state department of health, effective Sept. 7, requiring that school districts require students, staff and visitors to wear face coverings. At that point, it’s a state order to wear masks.

“The state order included exceptions,” he added. “If the mask causes a medical condition or aggravates an existing medical condition or exacerbates it, the face mask would not be required. We are able to ask for a medical note. We need a medical excuse.”

Kovalchik said he recently visited Moore Elementary School, Siegfried Elementary School and Northampton Area Middle School.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the students’ engagement and behavior,” said Kovalchik, adding, “I would like to commend our staff, along with the cooperation of our students.”

Referring to COVID-19 statistics thus far in the 2021-22 school year, Kovalchik said, “To date, 78 students and staff tested positive and 338 students have been quarantined.”

The NASD website COVID-19 data dashboard seven-day building totals, Sept. 21-27, as of Sept 27, are NAHS, 7; NAMS, 7; Borough Elementary, 1; Moore, 1; Lehigh, 1; George Wolf, 1; and district administration, 1.

The NASD Board of Education is next scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton. Face masks are required.