For Northampton Area School District’s empty Region 2 board seat, the ball is back in Northampton County Court. The board of education voted 5-3 at a special meeting May 8 to send the decision to appoint a Region 2 school board director back to Northampton County President Judge Craig A. Dally.

Voting “yes” to ask Dally to appoint the Region 2 representative were school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, John Becker, Josh Harris, Ross Makary and Vice President Kristin Soldridge. Voting “no” were school Directors Kim Bretzik, Brian McCulloch and President Doug Vaughn.

As of press time, it is uncertain when Dally will render his decision.

Atty. John E. Freund III, NASD solicitor from King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, said he would recommend the judge review a video of the May 8 meeting and read a transcript of the minutes of the meeting.

Freund said he would recommend Dally choose between two candidates - Christine Steigerwalt and Nathan Lichtenwalner - for which the school directors deadlocked, voting 4-4 at the May 8 meeting. However, Freund said Dally could choose from among the seven applicants or another person for the Region 2 directorship.

Voting to appoint Steigerwalt were Baird, Becker, Makary and Vaughn. Voting to appoint Lichtenwalner were Bretzik, Harris, McCulloch and Soldridge. Steigerwalt and Lichtenwalner were the final two applicants considered by the school board.

School directors voted 6-2 to choose Lichtenwalner in a runoff with a third applicant, William Jones.

Voting for Lichtenwalner were Baird, Becker, Harris, Makary, Soldridge and Vaughn. Voting for Jones were Bretzik and McCulloch.

School directors voted seven times with identical results for three applicants. Baird, Becker, Makary and Vaughn voted for Steigerwalt. Bretzik and McCulloch voted for Jones. Harris and Soldridge voted for Lichtenwalner.

Applicants Maggie Kemp, Fran Shehab, Lichtenwalner and Steigerwalt spoke at the May 8 meeting.

Those petitioning Northampton County Court for appointment to the Region 2 board seat were Jones, Steigerwalt and Kemp. Lichtenwalner said he had the required number of signatures but did not file his petition.

Interviewed by the NASD school board at an April 9 special meeting were Region 2 applicants Michael Buckley, Shelby Fabian, Shehab, Jones, Kemp, Lichtenwalner and Steigerwalt.

At the April 9 meeting, school directors nominated several applicants, but none received a majority vote of the eight-member board. Several directors voted to abstain for nominees. There were nominations for three applicants and unsuccessful votes for each.

Because the NASD board made no appointment by the required deadline, the matter went to Northampton County Court of Common Pleas.

“I did view a video of that meeting and abstentions were made, which is contrary to the statute. (School board) members are required to vote. Abstaining is only allowed for stated reasons,” Dally said in his May 1 ruling, which sent the Region 2 decision back to the NASD board.

NASD school directors voted 8-0 at the March 11 board meeting to approve and accept a letter from Chuck Frantz to resign effective March 1. Frantz’s term representing Region 2 was to conclude Dec. 1, 2025.