A new five-year teachers contract in Northampton Area School District has a 3.6% annual increase.

School directors voted 8-0, with one director absent, at the June 12 board of education meeting to approve, on the administration’s recommendation, an agreement between Northampton Area Educators Association and NASD, effective July 1-June 30, 2029.

The contract includes a 5.3% annual increase in benefits, NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman said at the meeting. Neiman confirmed the annual percentage increase in the contract.

School Director David Gogel lauded the approval of a five-year contract with the teachers.

“Kudos to the administration. I’m pretty amazed to see where we’re going to be in this for five years,” Gogel said.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said the administration is monitoring kindergarten enrollment at George Wolf Elementary School, Lehigh Elementary School, Moore Elementary School and Borough Elementary Schools for the expected Aug. 28 start of the 2023-24 school year. The capacity at Franklin Elementary School, a kindergarten facility, is 120 students.

“We’re right at the 100 number as of today,” Kovalchik said at the meeting June 12.

Kindergarten enrollment can increase in August. The administration has a $600,000 contingency fund that can be tapped for teacher hiring.

“We actually may have to hire a teacher or two,” Kovalchik said.

In other business at the June 12 meeting, school directors voted 8-0, on the recommendation of the administration, to approve hiring teachers and instructional assistants, effective Aug. 21: Laura Nederostek, kindergarten teacher, Lehigh Elementary, at $62,710, with benefits; Sarah Carver, world language teacher, Northampton Area High School, at $97,987, with benefits; Ashley Snyder, special education teacher, George Wolf Elementary, at $71,688, with benefits; Jennifer Calhoun, instrumental music teacher, Siegfried Elementary School, Lehigh Elementary, at $59,466, with benefits; Matthew Weaver, 1:1 special education instructional assistant, NAHS, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Courtney Muick, special education instructional assistant, NAHS, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Yashira Crespo, special education instructional assistant, NAHS, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Sandra Kulick, 1:1 special education instructional assistant, Northampton Area Middle School, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Laura Muhr, special education instructional assistant, NAHS, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; Lyndsy Grube, instructional assistant, George Wolf Elementary, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits; and Yvonne Bachert, special education instructional assistant, NAMS, at $18.88 per hour, with benefits.

The board of education is next scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. July 17 in the auditorium at NAHS, 1619 Laubach Ave.