Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education unanimously approved Jamie Nattress to fill the empty seat on the board during the Sept. 10 meeting. Her term will run until December 2025.

Nattress will fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Nappa, as approved at the Aug. 13 meeting. Since Nattress is taking over Nappa’s term, she will also take his spot on the building and grounds committee.

Nattress, a North Catasauqua Borough resident, said she has worked in education for about 16 years as a teacher and administrator. This experience has equipped her with knowledge of how school systems work and budgeting processes. She has also volunteered to work with students and worked as a coach. She believes it is important to keep the best interest of the students at the forefront of decisions.

Also taking their seats around the table for the first time were the Catasauqua High School student representatives — David Janoski and Adyn Wellington.

The school board approved the establishment of a high school girls wrestling team. Related approvals included adding a coach and restructuring the wrestling coach positions to include a wrestling coordinator, head coaches for both the boys and girls teams and a junior high wrestling coach, as well as the stipends for the positions.

The board approved a number of new roles in the district, including Lauren Pereira and Brittany Warner, noncertified instructional aides at Sheckler Elementary School; Alyssa Glass, noncertified instructional aide at CHS; and James Kessler, maintenance.

The change in employment status was approved for Audrey Hackett and Courtney Schwartz. Hackett is moving from a guest teacher to a noncertified technology aide at CHS, and Schwartz is going from a noncertified instructional aide to a districtwide noncertified instructional aide substitute.

The resignations of Janelle Taylor, a noncertified instructional aide at Sheckler Elementary, and Maureen Harrington, a bus driver, were approved.

Board members approved extracurricular positions for the 2024-25 school year, including Marc Snyder, fall weight room monitor; James Luchansky and Amanda Freiler, Catasauqua Middle School student store advisers; Jacob Smith, assistant boys basketball coach; Daniel Wismer and Jennifer Staib, CHS Green Team advisers; and Aaron Bilby, CHS 2027 Class adviser.

Robert Steckel was approved for a short-term substitute rate of $190 per day Sept. 9 until approximately Oct. 18. He will then step in to serve as interim assistant principal at Sheckler, at a rate of $350 per day, from approximately Oct. 18 to approximately Jan. 9, 2025.

Jennyfer Hiraldo, from New York University, was approved to work with Kimberly Ceccatti in counseling from Sept. 11 to June 11, 2025.

Board members reapproved the CASD health and safety plan. According to Director of Curriculum and Assessment Melissa Inselmann, no changes were made and the plan aligns with Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Additionally overnight student activity trips were approved for the cross-country, volleyball, soccer, basketball, field hockey, football, wrestling, swimming, track and field, baseball, softball and competitive spirit teams.

The board voted for their choices for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association officers. They include Sabrina Backer, of Franklin Area School District, as president elect; Matt Vannoy, of Sharon City School District, as vice president; Holly Arnold, of Tunkhannock Area School District, as the PSBA eastern zone representative for a three-year term; David Hein, Parkland School District, as the section E2 adviser for a two-year term; Nathan G. Mains, Richard Frerichs and William S. LaCoff as PSBA insurance trustees for a three-year term; and Betsy Gates, of Dauphin County Technical School, and Mary Dougherty, of Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23, to the forum steering committee for a two-year term.

Board members and district administration reported it has been a good start to the school year.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 8 for the regular monthly business meeting. Meetings are held in the district administration board room, 201 N. 14th St.