It’s official: The name is East Allen Elementary School.

Northampton Area School District Board of Education voted unanimously at the Sept. 9 meeting to approve the official name of the district’s new elementary school at Route 329 and New Seemsville Road as East Allen Elementary School.

The school board voted 8-1 to approve, as recommended by the NASD administration, to authorize the administration to work with PFM Financial Advisors LLC, district financial advisers, in conjunction with the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2025, in the approximate amount of $31,020,000 in early calendar year 2025 for the second phase of financing the new Route 329 elementary school and education center project. Voting against the approval was school Director Brian McCulloch.

“The vote for Route 329 (financing bonds) was a vote to close Moore (Elementary School),” school Director Kim Bretzik said following the vote.

“I would like to second Kim’s comment,” school Director Josh Harris said.

The facilities committee, of which Harris, McCulloch and Director Ross Makary are members, plans to make its recommendation concerning Moore Elementary School at its next meeting, set for 6 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Northampton Area High School library conference room, 1619 Laubach Ave. The meeting is open to the public.

The options under consideration for Moore Elementary, which was built in 1956, are a partial renovation, with a $27,432,953 cost estimate; a full renovation, with a $53,975,006 estimate; and demolition and replacement, at a cost of about $73,068,090.

The facilities committee’s recommendation for Moore Elementary, located on a 17.75-acre site along 2835 Mountain View Drive (Route 946), in Moore Township, is expected to be presented at the next board of education meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 in the NAHS auditorium.

Christopher W. Haller, D’Huy Engineering Inc. project engineer, updated the school board and public at the Sept. 9 meeting with a PowerPoint presentation of construction progress photographs of the Route 329 project.

The photos depicted scenes of steel beams, concrete footers, a perimeter road and underground utilities and plumbing placement.

“We’re on schedule for the completion for the summer of [2026] for the ’26-27 school year,” Haller said.

NASD will hold a groundbreaking ceremony 5:30 p.m. Sept. 19 for the new grade K-5 elementary school and education center at Route 329 and Seemsville Road. The event is not open to the public.

Construction of the $75,858,529 school project in East Allen Township began in November 2023.

School directors voted 7-2 at the Sept. 9 meeting to approve, at the recommendation of the administration, a general obligation bonds refunding opportunity. McCulloch and Harris voted against approval.

The school board vote authorized the NASD administration to work with PFM Financial Advisors LLC, in conjunction with the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2025, for the purpose of refunding the outstanding general obligation bonds, series of 2019 and series of 2020, with a minimum net savings target of $361,500.

School directors voted 9-0 to approve revised policies for adoption, including policy 218 regarding student discipline, policy 218.2 regarding terroristic threats and policy 810 about transportation.

Revisions for policy 218.1 about weapons was not approved. School directors voiced concerns as to what the definition of a weapon is and the legality of searching a vehicle on school property.

Additionally, revised policy 903 regarding public participation in board meetings and new policy 906 about public complaints resulted in several “no” votes.

Copies of the policies are available to read on the Sept. 9 meeting agenda, under agenda item details of the policy item on the NASD website, nasdschools.org.

School directors voted 9-0 to approve, at the recommendation of the administration, the creation of a rifle team for NAHS at a cost not to exceed $34,000.

School directors and NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik discussed the proposed rifle team. When asked if they applied for grants for the addition, Kovalchik reported they did but will not know if they received anything until March 2025. NASD applied for a grant from the National Rifle Association Foundation.

Kovalchik said there are several considerations in establishing a school rifle team, including having an available indoor shooting range, the $2,500-$3,000 cost of rifles and required associated equipment.

“It’s going to be extremely difficult to have a team this fall. The league has already set its schedule,” Kovalchik said. “We have to secure an indoor range. There is no indoor range accessible to us.”

Kovalchik reported a rifle team might be able to be organized for the 2025-26 school year.

It was noted a booster club, such as is in place for other NASD sports teams, might be set up to help raise funds for a rifle team.

In other business, school directors voted 9-0 to approve, at the recommendation of the administration, a proposal from WTI General Contracting (Tremco) to repair approximately 3,000 square feet of the NAHS roof at a cost of $121,476.76.

NASD Director of Operations Jonathan Jenny said several district projects have been completed, including the George Wolf Elementary School heating, ventilation and air conditioning project.

Kovalchik lauded the Aug. 26 launch of the 2024-25 school year.

“All in all, I feel that the year started on a positive note,” Kovalchik said.