During the Aug. 13 Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education meeting, the board approved the new Catasauqua Middle School principal.

Patrick McNulty is approved to begin working in the district once he is released from his current employer — Allentown School District. Interim Principal Robert Steckel will, in his words, “get the place ready” for McNulty.

“I’m more than excited to be part of this district,” McNulty said.

Other new appointments include Becky Hunsberger, a special education teacher at CMS; Deborah Thorne, CMS administrative assistant; and Jessica McNally, general kitchen help at Sheckler Elementary School.

The board approved a number of resignations, including Kayla Cunningham, Catasauqua High School head girls soccer coach; Deionte Wilson and Tyler Hodges, CHS assistant football coaches; Danielle Cooper, CMS administrative assistant; Ashley Moyer, CHS teacher; and student workers Andrew Strohl, Reece Lopez and Arianna Stallworth.

After three years of service, 13 teachers were approved for tenure. These include, at CHS, Kyle Davies and Laura Gerhard; at CMS, Emily Guill, Tom Leeds, Angelo Lucci, James Luchansky, Marlaina Riegel and Kelly Sourwine; and at Sheckler Elementary, Jacquelyn Garner, Megan Hobar, Meredith Miller, Janelle Nemeth and Erin Stramitis.

The change in employment status was approved for AnneMarie Hartranft from a non-certified instructional aide to a guidance administrative assistant at CHS, Caitlin Kier to move from substitute teacher to Sheckler certified instructional aide, Colin Hawk to move from non-certified instructional aide to substitute teacher and Jonathan Cordon-Pinto and Jalyah Rosado to move from summer to student workers.

The board approved 32 extracurricular positions, including basketball, wrestling, baseball, track, volleyball and soccer coaches and a weight room monitor.

A number of certified and non-certified instructional aides were approved for each school. Non-certified aides at CHS include Christopher Casciotti, Phillip Dorn, Nichole Gyrm, Jessica Suhaka and Todd Troxell. The non-certified aides at CMS are Sharron Caminos, Cherie Gebhardt, Joann Heffner, Amy LeFever, Tanya Saruba, Robert Steckel, Cody Velez, Allysha Weaver and Christina Weaver.

At Sheckler, the certified aides are Jesi Cericola, Jessica Evans, Caitlin Kier and Terri Lubenesky. The non-certified aides are Shelly Alexander, Cindy Bass, Denise Blakely, Sarah Forstoffer, Lindsay Haggerty, Cailia Landis, Rebecca Lozada, Patricia Matz, Claire Murawski, Kate Musselman, Linda Pluchinsky, Cecilia Ramirez, Sylvia Seregelyes, Courtney Schwartz, Travis Sterner and Janelle Taylor.

Five new substitutes were added, including teachers Kaitlin Phillips, Brynne Szabo, Korin Moyer-Mitchell and Ronald DeMaio and Douglas Kish as a non-CDL substitute driver. The substitute rate of $140 per day was approved for Phillips, Szabo and Hawk, effective Aug. 26. The short-term substitute rate of $190 a day was approved for Moyer-Mitchell, effective Aug. 19.

Student teachers and their mentors were approved. Megan Chesney, from Montclair State University, will be working with Krista George-Martell in speech/language Sept. 16-Dec. 13. Joey Gooden, from Kutztown University, will work with art teacher C.J. Matz Aug. 27-Dec. 12, and Benjamin Miller, also from Kutztown, will work with music teacher Rob Arnold Aug. 27-Oct. 18. Daryl Rice, from Eastern University, will work in the social studies department for the fall semester of the 2024-25 school year.

Anthony Brinkley, CASD second-grade teacher, is attending Robert Morris University and will work with Sheckler Principal Dr. Robert Kucharczuk Aug. 14-May 1.

Hunsberger is set to have Stacy Reilly as her mentor teacher.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Sept. 10 in the administrative board room at 201 N. 14th St.