When the Northampton Area School District Board of Education considered a successor to Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik, they found the exact person they were looking for — Joseph S. Kovalchik.

The NASD school board, in separate 8-0 votes at the March 10 meeting, rescinded the resignations from the Nov. 14, 2024, board meeting of Joseph S. Kovalchik, for the purpose of retirement as NASD superintendent of schools, and of his wife, Terry E. Kovalchik, for the purpose of retirement as Northampton Area Middle School reading teacher.

“There are many important matters before the board and the administration. My concern is about the budget and the building projects,” Kovalchik said after the meeting. “I want to ensure that there is a smooth transition.”

Kovalchik’s contract as superintendent is through 2027.

When asked if he would stay on through the contract’s duration, Kovalchik said, “I don’t want to say that I will. I don’t want to say that I won’t.”

Discussions with board members concerning rescinding his retirement began in December.

“It was a collaborative discussion. When good talks occur, you have a good outcome,” Kovalchik said.

“I do like the people I’m working with,” Terry Kovalchik said. “I love my job. We always said we’d retire together. When that changed, there was no reason not to continue.”

During the meeting, NASD school board President Kristin Soldridge said, “In November 2024, Mr. Kovalchik announced his retirement as superintendent after 34 years of service to the Northampton Area School District.

“Due to the many challenges facing the district in the foreseeable future and allowing time for an adequate transition of a new superintendent, the board and Mr. Kovalchik, over the past several weeks, have been discussing for him to continue as the superintendent of the district.

“Mr. Kovalchik has decided to return to the district as the superintendent at this time. We are looking forward to working together as we face these challenges and move the district forward together,” Soldridge said.

During the meeting, Kovalchik, a Northampton Borough native and Northampton High School graduate, talked about his decision to continue as superintendent.

“We’ve been together for 40 years,” he said, of he and his wife, Terry, adding, “We’ve always wanted to retire in the same year.”

Members of the school board and the audience who spoke were effusive in their praise of Kovalchik’s and his wife’s decision to “unretire.” Gerald L. Pritchard, Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors vice chairman, likened it to the popular “Welcome Back, Kotter” TV show from the 1970s, in which a graduate returns to his alma matter as a teacher.

“Welcome back, Mr. Kovalchik,” school Director John Becker said.

During the meeting, Soldridge announced the board received notice of a school director’s resignation. Absent was school Director Kim Bretzik, whose term representing Bath and Chapman boroughs and Moore Township expires in 2025. After the meeting, Soldridge confirmed to a reporter for Northampton Press that Bretzik resigned.

In a motion made by school Director Doug Vaughn, the board voted 6-2 to table an amendment to an agreement for engineering services between NASD and CHA Consulting Inc. to include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary School and a contract addendum for architectural/engineering services for the Moore Elementary renovation project between NASD and KCBA Architects to include the basic renovation scope of Moore Elementary.

Voting against tabling the contract changes were school Directors Brian McCulloch and Joshua Harris.

After the vote, Harris said, “We stopped Moore. Kim Bretzik was right. The Route 329 project ended Moore.”

“Josh (Harris) and I will continue to put money in the budget toward Moore,” Soldridge said. “We will not let Moore die.”

Tabling the contracts for Moore was tied to financial deficit forecasts through 2028-29 in a presentation by NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman, who said the 2025-26 NASD budget deficit has been reduced from $6.2 million, as of Jan. 13, to $3.7 million, as of March 10.

The NASD Board of Education next meets 6:30 p.m. April 14 in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave.