Continued funding for East Allen Elementary School has again been turned down by Northampton Area School District Board of Education during an Oct. 28 special meeting. School directors voted 5-4 to reject the second portion of funding for the school, under construction for nearly one year, at Route 329 and Seemsville Road.

The board is expected to revisit the resolution for the second funding of the project at its next meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave.

At the Nov. 11 meeting, an updated facilities financing plan and potential tax impact are expected to be presented for the East Allen Elementary School project, the continued use and renovation of Moore Elementary School and the financing of the expansion of Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School.

School Director Kim Bretzik requested the updated facilities financing plan before the board could approve additional funding for the East Allen school project.

The special meeting in the NAHS auditorium was convened after school directors rejected approval of additional funding for the East Allen school project at the regular monthly board meeting Oct. 14.

Voting against East Allen Elementary School funding Oct. 28 were school board Vice President Kristin Soldridge and school Directors Bretzik, Joshua Harris, Nathan Lichtenwalner (via speaker phone) and Brian McCulloch.

Voting for East Allen Elementary School funding Oct. 28 were school board President Doug Vaughn and school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, John Becker and Ross Makary.

The voting Oct. 28 was identical to the voting at the Oct. 14 meeting.

The motion rejected Oct. 14 and 28 was:

“Approve a parameters resolution, the full text of said parameters resolution having been provided to each member of the board of directors and the full text of which is incorporated into this motion by specific reference to the parameters resolution, authorizing among other things, the incurring of non-electoral debt by the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2025 or such other series designation as determined by the parties (‘the 2025 bonds’) in the maximum amount of $37,200,000 via a competitive internet auction for the purpose of funding a capital improvement plan including the construction and fixturing and equipping of an elementary school and education center as described in the parameters resolution.”

The parameters resolution is expected to be on the agenda of the Nov. 11 board meeting.

The vote was preceded and followed by comments and questions from the audience, estimated at approximately 150 by school security officers, during the meeting Oct. 28.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident William Buskirk asked, “Is there someone on the school board who can explain the parameters in plain English?”

“This would be the second round of financing for the Route 329 project,” NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman explained. “The timing of the bonds is based on the cash flow of the project. We’re paying the contractors.”

Neiman said that, had the parameters resolution been approved, he would have a ratings call in December with Moody’s Ratings, the bond credit rating business that provides financial research on bonds issued by commercial and government entities.

“In January, our financial adviser, PFM (Financial Advisors LLC), would hold an online auction, with the money being available in February,” Neiman said.

The NASD school board voted 6-3 at the Dec. 4, 2023, meeting to approve the first round of funding for East Allen Elementary School in a parameters resolution for $41,200,000 of general obligation bonds, series of 2024.

Voting to approve the first funding for the Route 329 project at the Dec. 4, 2023, board meeting were Vaughn, Bretzik, Chuck Frantz, Baird, Becker and Makary.

Voting to reject the first funding for the Route 329 project at the Dec. 4, 2023, board meeting were Soldridge, Harris and McCulloch.

Frantz’ resignation from the school board, effective March 1, was accepted 8-0 at the board meeting March 11.

After the board deadlocked to fill the seat, Lichtenwalner was appointed June 4 by Northampton County Court of Common Pleas to fill the unexpired term through Dec. 1, 2025, for Region 2, representing Northampton Borough and East Allen Township.

The two other parameters resolutions that were not approved at the Dec. 4, 2023, board meeting were for $37,200,000 and $7,200,000. Voting to not approve the two parameters resolutions were Vaughn, Soldridge, Bretzik, Harris and McCulloch. Voting to approve the two parameters resolution were Frantz, Baird, Becker and Makary.

Contracts for the $75,858,529 elementary school and education center were awarded at the Nov. 13, 2023, school board meeting. Site preparation began Dec. 1, 2023. A ceremonial groundbreaking for East Allen Elementary School was held Sept. 19.

Construction of East Allen Elementary School is to be completed in summer 2026. The school is to open in fall 2026 for the 2026-27 academic year. In addition to the elementary school, the facility is to include the NASD information technology department and administration center.

At the Dec. 4, 2023, meeting, Soldridge requested a motion to stop the Route 329 project. Atty. Avery E. Smith, partner, King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, district solicitor firm, said the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law for public meetings required advance advertising for the motion.

At the Dec. 4, 2023, meeting, Smith said, “Even if you vote down the funding, the project is still moving forward. If you were to terminate those contracts, that could cost $10,000 per contract and the district would have to pay for any costs incurred.”

The previously approved first funding for East Allen Elementary School is expected to last into early 2025.

“If you didn’t get the money, when would you run out of the money?” McCulloch asked Neiman.

Neiman said he estimates the funds would run out in February or March 2025.

“If you got approval in November for the parameters, is that too late for the Moody’s call?” Bretzik asked Neiman.

“A Nov. 11 school board approval is acceptable,” Neiman replied.

It was reported Bretzik requested, via an email to the district administration and school directors, an additional meeting before the Nov. 11 regular board meeting for a project financing plan update.

Originally, the district projected an approximate $990,000 savings with the closing of Moore.

School directors voted 8-1 at the Oct. 14 meeting to not approve “the closure of Moore Elementary School upon completion of the East Allen Elementary School.”

During the Oct. 28 board meeting, Bretzik explained her reasoning for the denial of the second round of funding for the East Allen school project.

“We had some requests that were not fulfilled,” Bretzik said, adding, “We are willing to have a more robust discussion.”

The dates of Nov. 4 or Nov. 5 were floated for an additional meeting.

“The intent is not to shut down (the Route 329 school project),” Bretzik added.

Vaughn asked Neiman what the cost was for readvertising the board meetings for the parameters resolution.

Neiman said the additional advertising amounted to $300 and $700 for a total of $1,000. That amount could increase to $1,500 or $2,000.

The advertising will have to be repeated for the Nov. 11 board meeting when the parameters resolution is again expected to be on the agenda.

Five options for Moore Elementary School are expected to be presented at the school board meeting Nov. 11. The options were agreed upon by the facilities committee at its Oct. 21 meeting after the school board voted 6-3 at the Oct. 14 meeting to spend $20 million on partial restoration of Moore Elementary School, to begin in summer 2025 after the 2024-25 school year concludes.

NASD Director of Operations Jonathan Jenny and Christopher W. Haller, D’Huy Engineering project engineer, are preparing five options for Moore Elementary School:

• $25 million, based on partial renovation, as previously presented, which includes classroom air-unit ventilators

• $25 million, to include four-pipe HVAC system

• $25 million, to include four-pipe HVAC system and EPDM or built-up roof

• $20 million, to include air-unit ventilators and built-up roof

• $20 million, to include four-pipe HVAC, new sewer system, new water system and new playground

Among the comments by an estimated 20 who spoke at the podiums at the Oct. 28 board meeting include the following.

“This decision not only affects infrastructure but our entire community,” Jacob Becker said of the vote to reject the second round of East Allen school project funding.

“Because of you guys, I am becoming interested in our school board,” Parker Flamish said.

“Those [who] voted against this, why? For those [who] voted ‘no,’ what were your reasons behind it?,” Marc Kercsmar asked. “It seems like the bond issue is more than about the money. It is being held hostage for Moore.”