This time, three years from now, students will be eagerly raising their hands in classrooms in East Allen Elementary School, and Northampton Area School District administration officials will be conferring and IT department staff will be at their computers in the new education center.

That’s the FutureThink picture after the Dec. 18 NASD Board of Education meeting when school directors voted narrowly, 5-4, to approve continuing construction of the Route 329 elementary school and education center in East Allen Township.

After 2.5 hours of presentations, discussions and questions and answers, the pivotal vote to continue the project occurred when the digital clock on the Northampton Area High School auditorium wall displayed 9:11 p.m.

As the vote was announced, many in the audience, estimated at 200, broke into cheers and applause. The public comment portion of the meeting was extended 30 minutes for comments and questions.

The timeline for the Route 329 elementary school and education center calls for the project to be completed July 29, 2026, in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Three new NASD Board of Education directors took their seats after the Nov. 7 general election. The previous school board voted to approve Route 329 project contracts at the Nov. 13 meeting. Earth-moving began Dec. 1 at the Route 329 and Seemsville Road site. At the reorganization meeting Dec. 4, the board agreed to a special meeting Dec. 18 to reconsider the project.

Voting to “terminate, effective Dec. 19, the prime construction contracts associated with the Route 329 building project” were school Directors Kim Bretzik, Joshua Harris, Brian McCulloch and board Vice President Kristin Soldridge.

Voting not to terminate the prime construction contracts were school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, John Becker, Chuck Frantz, Ross Makary and board President Doug Vaughn.

Taking time to reflect on the vote after the meeting, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said the decision to continue the project was “historic,” comparing it to the merger of school districts that formed NASD more than half a century ago.

“I feel relieved the administration can now continue construction of the Route 329 project, make a decision on Moore Elementary School and consider staffing and redistricting,” Kovalchik said. “This is the first step in moving forward.”

School directors plan to tour Moore Elementary School in January 2024 to determine the extent of renovations and improvements for the school. The NASD board has indicated by consensus, but has not officially voted, to continue Moore Elementary for use as an education facility. Moore was to have been closed in lieu of the new school in East Allen.

NASD could reportedly be on the hook for some $9.5 million in costs, plus additional monetary liability from possible lawsuits, if the Route 329 project is terminated.

“I think it’s important the board is aware of the implications if the project is terminated,” Kovalchik said at the start of the meeting. “I asked D’Huy (consulting engineer), KCBA (project architect) and Atty. Avery Smith (district solicitor) to make presentations.”

Arif Fazil, D’Huy Engineering Inc. president, outlined expenditures through Dec. 19 and costs should the project be terminated:

• Design, planning and bidding phases: $3,489,587.65

• Total work completed: $1,025,472.61

• Retainers held to date: $113,941.40

• Restore site: $584,126.37

• Total work in progress and stored materials: $3,167,981.71

• Total estimated purchase order cancellation: $1,186,528.75

• Total estimated costs to be paid: $9,567,638.49

Other potential costs are to be determined, such as claims by contractors and legal fees.

“Some of this is easy to know and some has variables,” Fazil said.

“That number ($9.5 million) does not reflect any of the potential legal actions,” Smith said. “It’s hard for us to know the full extent (of the costs). You don’t know if someone will file a lawsuit or dispute the amounts.”

“We’re limiting the site disturbance to 30 acres of the more than 90 acres,” Fazil noted.

If the project is not continued, “one of the things we have to do is restore that site,” Fazil said.

Vaughn asked how much of the $9.5 million that NASD might have to pay if the project is terminated has already been paid. NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman said the $3.4 million in design, planning and bidding phases has been spent, with approximately $6 million in costs remaining to be incurred if the project is terminated.

Vaughn asked Neiman how the district would pay for the $6 million in costs.

“The capital reserve fund and the bonds proceeds would not be an available source of funds,” Neiman replied. “While the general fund is there, we don’t have $6 million in the budget. We would be overspending our budget. We could cut programs or staff. It would be a challenge to find that amount.

“To say that we have that money ($6 million) to pay for it is probably not an accurate statement,” Neiman added.

“We’re talking staff cuts and extracurricular cuts. I want to know what kind of devastation that this (terminating the project) is going to cost,” Baird said.

The elementary school and education center is expected to cost $75,858.529.

Vaughn said he asked Neiman what the cost per year for each taxpayer would be, based on the district $63,000 average property assessment. He noted he was told the average cost would be $31.82 per year, or $127.26 spanning four years.

The Route 329 project timeline includes, in addition to work begun Dec. 1, which was installing erosion and sedimentation control systems and earth-moving:

• Dec. 22: Complete installation of construction entrances and staging area.

• Jan. 24-Feb. 15, 2024: Complete stormwater channels and proceed with site work.

The NASD board next meets 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8, 2024, in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.