Northampton Area Middle School is again competing in the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing student video contest.

The contest awards presentation, scheduled 7-8 p.m. April 5 at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, will be telecast live on WFMZ-TV. Online voting for the Viewers’ Choice Award was March 23-28.

The ninth annual contest has 28 middle school entries from Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon and Monroe counties. The contest format was created by Manufacturers Resource Center, Lehigh Valley.

To view the NAMS What’s So Cool video entry and other entries, visit whatssocool.org/contests/lehigh-valley.

The link was posted on the Northampton Area School District website, where district residents were asked to vote for it.

In other news, the NASD Board of Education voted 9-0 at the March 14 meeting to approve:

• Hirings - Richard Hasonich, NASD supervisor of transportation, as of May 16, at $67,000, prorated, with benefits; Katie Trainello, business, computer and information technology teacher, Northampton Area High School, effective Aug. 22, at $57,155, with benefits; Jamie Radcliffe, NAHS certified school nurse, effective Aug. 22, at $57,055, with benefits; Darlene Ferry, guidance secretary, NAMS, effective March 15, at $22.62 per hour, with benefits; Gloria Reenock, health room assistant, NAMS, effective March 15, at $17.28 per hour, with benefits; Laura Nederostek, short-term substitute art teacher, Lehigh Elementary School, effective March 29 through 2021-22 school year, at $125 per diem

• Resignations - Anna Costelas, special education instructional assistant, for retirement, effective June 2; Elena Krupa, kindergarten teacher, George Wolf Elementary School, effective April 4; JoAnna Freund, reading instructional assistant, Franklin Elementary School, effective March 4; Robin Torres, hall monitor, effective Feb. 17; Gary Meckes, maintenance, effective Feb. 4

• Professional tenures - Ranim Sankari and Jacob Stopay, Borough Elementary Schools

• Voluntary transfer - Melissa Pany, curriculum secretary, to secretary to assistant superintendent, effective July 1, at $52,432, with benefits

• Revised policies - meetings, purchases subject to bid quotation, purchases budgeted, federal fiscal compliance and school volunteers

• Other approvals - Allstate Septic Systems LLP to provide two portable restrooms and one handicap-accessible portable restroom during the Jan. 1-Dec 31, 2023, athletic season at $315 per month; Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit student driver education program agreement; New Story tuition agreement not to exceed $32,725; disposal of obsolete technology equipment, parts and components; agreement for evaluation services for special education student; memorandum of understanding between NASD and Northampton County Children and Youth Agency, effective immediately; William Jefferson, trustee, Northampton Area Public Library

The NASD website COVID-19 data dashboard seven-day building totals, March 22-28, as of March 28, are: NAHS, 1, no change from 1; NAMS, 0, down from 1; Borough Elementary, 1, up from 0; Moore Elementary School, 0, no change from 0; Lehigh Elementary, 0, no change from 0; George Wolf Elementary, 0, no change from 0; and district administration building, 0, no change from 0.

The number of positive cases of COVID in NASD for the 2021-22 school year to date is 1,136.

The board of education next meets 6:30 p.m. April 11 in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave.