It’s estimated Northampton Area School District should set aside $3.5 million in its annual budget for maintenance, repairs and building improvements.

“This is based on what we’ve done in the past,” said NASD Director of Operations Jonathan Jenny, adding, “It’s an average $3.5 million annually.”

Jenny made the estimate at the monthly board of education facilities committee meeting Jan. 20 in the Northampton Area High School library conference room.

Jenny said he derived the estimate by considering eight district buildings and major projects, such as the replacement of roofs, HVAC, boilers and chillers during the course of approximately 28 years.

In addition, Jenny said, there are maintenance costs, such as for new vehicles for the district; supplies, including for custodians; and even pencils for students in classrooms, for an estimated $5 million annually in maintenance and operations.

School Director Joshua Harris, who is a member of the facilities committee, urged the district to plan for buildings maintenance and repairs as part of its annual budget deliberations and to consider a 10-year plan so the board can better anticipate these needs.

Harris has said the day-to-day, year-in, year-out building maintenance should be prioritized, especially in light of a looming deficit in the NASD 2025-26 budget.

“We have a $6.2 million deficit. I don’t know how we’re going to catch up with that,” Harris said at the meeting.

NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman presented the 2025-26 preliminary budget at the Jan. 13 school board meeting. The preliminary budget lists expenditures of $142.8 million and revenue of $136.6 million for a deficit of $6.2 million, according to Neiman.

Jenny said he will meet with Christopher W. Haller, project manager at CHA Consulting Inc., district consulting engineers; George Wolf Elementary School Principal Stephen Serensits; and other officials to plan for the summer implementation of the HVAC project at George Wolf.

School directors voted 9-0 at the Jan. 13 meeting to approve George Wolf HVAC renovation bids — general: $1,474,000, Uhrig Construction; HVAC: $3,589,200, ASL Refrigeration Inc.; and electrical: $708,538, Albarell Electric Inc., for a total of $5,771,738.

At the Jan. 13 board meeting, Harris asked Neiman how the George Wolf HVAC project would be paid for. The district does not have the funds to directly pay for the project.

Neiman said funding could be taken from the issuance of bonds approved for funding the second portion of the East Allen Elementary School project. The amount of the George Wolf HVAC project would need to be replenished.

School directors voted unanimously at the Nov. 11, 2024, meeting to approve a parameters resolution, authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2025, for $37,200,000 in a competitive internet auction to fund the capital improvement plan, including construction, fixtures and equipping the East Allen Elementary School and education center.

At the Jan. 20 facilities committee meeting, Harris said the approximate $5.7 million George Wolf HVAC project could cost the district an additional $3 million in financing costs. Had the district set aside funds annually for such a project, financing costs might not be incurred.

Jenny presented an overview of his analysis of the need for approximately $3.5 million in annual maintenance costs.

“You guys,” Jenny said to Harris, referring to school directors, “have to figure out how to include this into your budgets.”

The NASD annual maintenance and operations budget is approximately $1.08 million.

“We haven’t had a budget increase in eight years,” Jenny said of the maintenance and operations budget.

Jenny has been NASD director of operations for eight years.

School district buildings include Northampton Area middle and high schools, Siegfried, Lehigh, Moore, East Allen and George Wolf elementary schools and the maintenance building. East Allen Elementary is to open for the 2026-27 school year.

Not included are Franklin Elementary School, the Washington building (IT department) and the administration building because these buildings are expected to close upon the opening of East Allen Elementary School.

Jenny said each major component of a building has an expected life-span use of approximately 20-30 years. A new boiler can cost $2 million. Another major piece of equipment, a new chiller for air handling, can cost $2 million.

“Every three years, you’re going to have to do something,” Jenny said of school board budget decisions for maintenance projects. “I think the next big budget item will be the two turf fields in the stadium as soon as possible,” Jenny said, referring to Al Erdosy Stadium.

The cost for turf at the stadium is estimated at $1 million.

Jenny reviewed district agenda items, planned or underway, which include NAHS stage, no update; George Wolf HVAC, approved; security and safety grant (door prop alarms and fences), paid for; NAHS boiler replacements, awaiting summer break; George Wolf front driveway, awaiting summer break; stadium and NAHS gym sound systems, awaiting summer break; maintenance walk-in freezer addition, measurements to be taken; and Moore Elementary renovation, planning.

Jenny said he and other key members of the administration team will meet the week of Jan. 26 with Haller to discuss the Moore Elementary renovation project.

The NASD school board voted 7-2 at the Jan. 13 meeting to approve a complete building renovation of Moore Elementary at an estimated cost of $51 million.

The facilities committee is next scheduled to meet 6 p.m. Feb. 18 in the NAHS library conference room. Schools are closed Feb. 17 for the Presidents Day holiday.