The Act 34 hearing for the new elementary school project in Northampton Area School District has been postponed.

The NASD Board of Education voted unanimously 9-0 to reschedule the hearing for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 in the Northampton Area Middle School cafeteria, 1617 Laubach Ave.

After the vote at the Nov. 14 school board meeting in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik explained the reason for the Act 34 hearing postponement.

The hearing was to have been held Nov. 10 at NAMS, but the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North Division champion Konkrete Kids varsity football team was scheduled to play the Parkland Trojans in the District 11 Class 6A semifinal game Nov. 10 at Al Erdosy Stadium. The stadium is adjacent to the middle school, and parking at and around the stadium is often at a premium.

“We were ready to go,” Kovalchik said of the Act 34 hearing. “I was worried about logistics. We didn’t have enough parking.”

Postponement of the Act 34 hearing had nothing to do with NASD officials or those who were to make presentations, according to Kovalchik.

An estimated 3,500 attended the Nov. 10 playoff game at Erdosy Stadium, with the Konkrete Kids losing 31-13 to the Trojans.

Kovalchik said another concern was safety and security.

“We didn’t have enough safety and security for the game and the hearing,” Kovalchik added. “I didn’t know how many were going to go to the Act 34 hearing.”

NASD has security personnel at school board meetings. Those attending meetings are required to go through metal detectors, and purses and backpacks are checked. These security measures will be in place for the hearing.

Kovalchik had considered trying to get the date of the Northampton-Parkland game moved to Nov. 12. However, football game officials, who work high school and college football games, would not have been available for a Saturday high school game.

Kovalchik said a District 11 official contacted NASD Director of Athletics Shaun Murray Nov. 8. The inability to move the game from Nov. 10 to Nov. 12 meant the Act 34 hearing would need to be postponed.

The Act 34 hearing is for the $73.4 million project to build an elementary school and education center at Route 329 and Seemsville Road, East Allen Township. The elementary school is to be 113,238 square feet. An administrative building is to be 36,172 square feet.

The Act 34 hearing booklet is available on the NASD website, nasdschools.org.

In other business, Northampton Community College President Dr. David Ruth addressed the school board and public at the Nov. 14 meeting. Ruth was appointed July 1. He was NCC vice president and chief of staff since 2016.

“I came here just to introduce myself,” Ruth said. “I’m a community college graduate myself.”

He reported NCC is seeing “continued growth.”

Ruth touted the dual-enrollment program, allowing high school students to take NCC classes.

“This year, 2,000 students will have taken at least one class in dual enrollment,” Ruth said. “[NCC] suffered greatly during the pandemic with about a 24% drop in enrollment. Our enrollment is on the upswing.”

According to Ruth, NCC is the only community college in Pennsylvania to have on-site dormitories. Revenue from dormitory rentals goes toward the NCC Foundation, he said.

“Ninety percent of NCC graduates are either employed in their major or studying at an additional college,” Ruth said.

Ruth, who lives with his wife in West Chester, Chester County, said they are looking to relocate, possibly in NASD.

The NASD school board voted 9-0 at the Nov. 14 meeting to approve the resignation of Matthew Sawarynski from the position of business administrator, effective Jan. 11, 2023.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Sawarynski for all his assistance in the past seven years. It’s a very difficult position, with a $120 million annual budget and some 700 employees,” Kovalchik said. “We’ve been able to increase our fund balance and increase revenue. We’ve been able to hold down taxes with an 0.87% increase over four years. Business administrators are extremely difficult to find.”

Sawarynski said he accepted a job in the private sector.

School directors voted 9-0 to approve the resignation of Elizabeth Diaz from the position of secretary to the business administrator, effective April 3, 2023.

When school director Dr. Michael Baird asked Kovalchik if the district has a replacement in mind, the superintendent reported they are interviewing for the position and hope to have a candidate for the December meeting.

School Director Robert Mentzell noted Veterans Day was Nov. 11. He reported NAHS graduates killed serving in the U.S. military included three in World War I; 13 in World War II; three in the Korean War; five in the Vietnam War; and one in the Persian Gulf conflict.

The Nov. 14 school board meeting was taped and was to have been posted Nov. 15 for viewing on the NASD website.

The NASD Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave. The meeting is being held the first Monday of the month, rather than the usual second Monday of the month.