During Northampton Area School District Board of Education’s meeting Dec. 5, the board reelected James Chuss as president and John Becker as vice president.

During the election of board president and board vice president, Doug Vaughn nominated Dr. Michael Baird. There was no second for either nomination of Baird by Vaughn.

Baird declined the nomination. He thanked Vaughn for the nomination.

“Right now, I have too much on my plate. I appreciate the confidence you’ve shown in me. So, I respectfully decline,” Baird said to Vaughn.

“I appreciate what you do,” Vaughn replied.

After Baird declined the nomination for board president, Vaughn nominated him for board vice president.

“Thank you. I am not going to be able to make some of the meetings. I respectfully decline,” Baird said.

Kim Bretzik nominated Vaughn for president and vice president. There was no second for either nomination of Vaughn by Bretzik.

Ross Makary nominated Chuss for president, seconded by Makary. The vote was 7-2 for Chuss, with Bretzik voting for Vaughn and Vaughn abstaining.

Becker was nominated by Robert Mentzell for vice president, seconded by Makary. The vote was 7-2 for Becker, with Bretzik voting for Vaughn and Vaughn abstaining.

Also at the Dec. 5 meeting, the board voted unanimously to continue meeting 6:30 p.m., usually on the second Monday, with a few exceptions, in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave.

School directors had decided to meet once per month beginning with the January 2022 meeting. Previously, for many years, the school board met twice per month, with the exception of July when one meeting was held.

At the meeting, the board voted to not return to two meetings per month, nor to meet in the Northampton Area Middle School cafeteria.

The location of the school board meetings was moved from the administration building conference room to the NAMS cafeteria to the NAHS auditorium for reasons of COVID-19 pandemic protocol to accommodate an increased number of attendees and for security purposes.

School board meeting attendees are required to walk through an X-ray screening portal and have purses and other personal items inspected by NASD security personnel in the high school lobby before entering the auditorium.

The decision to continue once-monthly meetings was objected to by some members of the audience at the Dec. 5 reorganization meeting and the regular meeting that followed.

During the public comment portion of approximate 20-minute board reorganization meeting, one of those in the audience who spoke was Maggie Kemp, former school director.

“I was a little disappointed that you are only meeting once a month. When I was on the school board, we couldn’t get it all done,” Kemp said.

When Kemp was on the school board, it met twice monthly.

“I would be available for more meetings but holding one meeting a month makes sense,” Vaughn said.

Digital recordings of school board meetings are posted on the NASD website the day after a meeting.

School board meeting dates for 2023 are Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 17, May 8, June 12, July 17, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4.

Committee assignments made at the meeting Dec. 5 include the following - Act 93: Baird and David Gogel continue, joined by Vaughn; contract negotiations: Baird, Gogel and Vaughn continue; employee benefit trust: Baird continues; expulsion: Chuck Frantz, Mentzell, Becker and Gogel continue; facilities: Becker, Chuss, Mentzell and Makary continue; K-Kids Foundation: Makary continues; meet and discuss: Becker and Mentzell continue; NASD Community Council liaison: Mentzell continues, joined by Frantz, with Bretzik resigning because the daytime meetings conflict with her work schedule; Pennsylvania School Boards Association liaison: Baird continues; policy: Bretzik, Mentzell and Vaughn continue, with Becker resigning; Northampton Area Public Library liaison: no appointment; Safe School: Frantz and Makary, with Bretzik added because it meets evenings; technology: Bretzik and Makary; and appointments to Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School Joint Committee: Gogel and Makary continue.

The board of education next meets 6:30 p.m. Jan. 9, 2023, in the NAHS auditorium.