“There will be pain far across the organization with any of these cuts,” Northampton Area School District Business Administrator Craig Neiman said during the NASD 2025-26 preliminary budget presentation at the Jan. 13 NASD Board of Education meeting.

The NASD preliminary 2025-26 budget has a deficit of $6.2 million, with expenditures of $142.8 million and revenue of $136.6 million. Cuts could include eliminating middle school and high school athletics; middle school band, orchestra and chorus; elementary music; high school elective courses; student clubs; community education; public library funding; and four bus routes.

“This is by no means final decisions,” Neiman added.

Neiman said potential district expenditure, program, personnel and capital reductions total $18,825,000. These include savings of $580,000 in the operating budget; $5,890,000 in the capital plan; $9,860,000 for programs; $2,190,000 for personnel; and $305,000 for support organizations.

Total savings that can address the budget deficit equal $12,935,000, according to Neiman.

Potential districtwide expenditure, program, personnel and capital reductions and impacts include:

Operating budget — $580,000

• Reduce copier fleet: $36,000. Impact: reduces copiers by 25%, staff inefficiencies with potential overtime and grievances

• Eliminate staff computer replacement cycle: $150,000. Impact: dated technology, performance, security, potential cyber attacks, insurance

• Reduce new library content: $32,000. Impact: all grades, dated materials

• Reduce instructional supplies: $50,000. Impact: primarily online teacher instructional tools

• Reduce art, music supplies: $25,000. Impact: all grades, middle, high school competitions

• Reduce schoolwide positive behavioral support programs: $25,000. Impact: primarily field trips, building activities for students

• Reduce professional development opportunities: $25,000. Impact: loss of continuing education, staff development

• Eliminate outdoor field treatment programs: $15,000. Impact: reduced grounds, athletic field quality

• Eliminate indoor air quality testing: $12,000. Impact: delayed recognition of air quality issues

• Eliminate gym floor refinishing program: $10,000. Impact: floor appearance deteriorates

• Adjust districtwide building temperatures: $100,000. Impact: deviate from 73-degree Fahrenheit set point, buildings warmer and colder

• Eliminate four bus routes: $100,000. Impact: increased walking distance for students; parent inconvenience

Capital plan — $5,890,000

• Cancel George Wolf driveway project: $90,000. Impact: contract already executed

• Cancel George Wolf HVAC project: $5,800,000. Impact: contract approved at Jan. 13 meeting

Programs — $9,860,000

• Eliminate student 1:1 devices: $700,000. Impact: would need to develop new curriculum delivery approach

• Eliminate NASD Cyber Academy: $900,000. Impact: 168 students, higher cyber-charter cost because of students enrolling in outside charters

• Eliminate middle school athletics: $120,000. Impact: 230 students, 18 staff

• Eliminate middle school band, orchestra, chorus: $420,000. Impact: 400 students, three staff

• Eliminate middle school world language: $560,000. Impact: 395 students, four staff

• Eliminate elementary school music: $700,000. Impact: all elementary school students, five staff

• Eliminate high school athletics: $1,500,000. Impact: 780 students, 157 staff

• Eliminate high school elective courses: $4,760,000. Impact: all high school students, 34 staff

• Eliminate high school student clubs: $200,000. Impact: 1,000 students, 100 staff

Personnel — $2,190,000

• No backfill of retiring teachers: $1,400,000. Impact: higher class sizes, additional workload for existing staff

• Eliminate substitute custodians: $75,000. Impact: delayed daily and deep cleaning; nine staff

• Eliminate 10-month building secretaries: $715,000. Impact: reduced student services, nine staff; additional workload for remaining staff; potential increased overtime costs

Support organizations — $305,000

• Eliminate facilities use by outside organizations: $25,000. Impact: energy, staff savings; no outside groups allowed to use facilities

• Eliminate community education: $10,000. Impact: energy, staff savings

• Eliminate Northampton Area Public Library contribution: $270,000

School directors voted 9-0 at the Jan. 13 meeting to approve a resolution not to raise the tax rate higher than the state-mandated 2025-26 Act 1 Index of 4.8%.

Options to balance the budget include combinations of tax increases and fund balance use.

NASD budget updates and discussion are to continue at school board meetings. The board is next scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave.

The proposed final budget vote is set for the May 12 school board meeting. The final budget vote is set for the June 16 school board meeting.

The budget presentation is on the NASD website at nasdschools.org.