Axing more than one-quarter-million dollars in Northampton Area Public Library funding is under consideration by the Northampton Area School District Board of Education to reduce the NASD 2025-26 budget deficit.

The withdrawal of $270,000 in funding for NAPL is recommended by the NASD school board finance committee.

“That is all the funding of the library by the school district,” NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman said at the NASD school board meeting held April 14.

The proposal is on the first page of the 2025-26 updated budget presentation, Eliminate Public Library Funding — Finance Committee Recommendation — for a savings of $270,000, which is the amount the district provides NAPL.

The April 14 budget presentation is on the NASD website at nasdschools.org/article/2146838.

With the reduction in NAPL funding, and an increase in Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 costs of $53,000, the NASD 2025-26 budget deficit is reduced to $3,487,155, as of the April 14 meeting. This number is down from the $3,704,155 deficit as of the March 10 school board meeting and from $6,259,264 as of the Jan. 13 board meeting, when the budget was unveiled.

Neiman presented four 2025-26 tax options and backed a 4% increase for a $141.80 average annual tax bill increase. The cost per $1,000 of assessed value would be 0.00225. The increase of 2.25 mills would generate $3,201,288 in revenue. To balance the budget, $285,867 would be used from the district fund balance.

The three other tax options are:

• 1% increase for a $35.45 average annual tax bill increase. The cost per $1,000 of assessed value would be 0.00056. The millage increase of 0.56 would generate $800,322 in revenue. To balance the budget, $2,686,833 would be used from the district fund balance.

• 2% increase for a $70.90 average annual tax bill increase. The cost per $1,000 of assessed value would be 0.00113. The millage increase of 1.13 would generate $1,600,644 in revenue. To balance the budget, $1,886,511 would be used from the district fund balance.

• 3% increase for a $106.35 average annual tax bill increase. The cost per $1,000 of assessed value would be 0.00169. The millage increase of 1.69 would generate $2,400,966 in revenue. To balance the budget, $1,086,189 would be used from the district fund balance.

The tax options are based on:

• Act 1 index of 4.8%, which the school board has voted to not exceed

• Average 2024 Homestead Assessment equals $63,000, based on the Median Homestead Assessment of $61,100

• Average 2024 Homestead Tax Bill $3,545 less $171.85 H/F deduction, for 2024 eligible properties

• Potential to limit tax impact with proposed legislation that would increase H/F deduction

The deficit summary in the presentation is the 2025-26 budget with revenue of $131.9 million with expenditures of $140.6 million for an initial deficit of $3.5 million, with a 4% tax increase, which would generate $3.2 million, with the approximate $0.3 deficit covered by the fund balance.

In his presentation, Neiman said:

• Additional budget cuts will be difficult to find without drastically impacting programming.

• The administration does not recommend fund balance use of more than $1 million to balance the budget.

“If you don’t solve the budget deficit this year, it will just snowball,” Neiman said.

School Director Dr. Michael Baird asked Neiman if the fund balance use for the 4% tax increase would maintain the district-mandated 5-8% fund balance ratio.

“It’s within the range,” Neiman replied.

After the presentation, Neiman took a straw poll, a nonbinding vote, of the school directors who were asked what percent tax increase they would back.

The tally was:

Baird: 4%

John Becker: 4%

John Harris: 4%

Vice President Nathan Lichtenwalner: 2%

Ross Makary: 4%

Brian McCulloch: 0%

President Kristin Soldridge: 4%

Soldridge said school Director Doug Vaughn had emailed her, stating he backed a 4% tax hike.

School Director Kim Bretzik was absent.

Neiman said based on the six-vote majority of board members who indicated they would back a 4% tax increase, “I will go ahead and prepare the budget with the 4%.”

During the 6:30 p.m. May 12 school board meeting, to be held in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave., there will be another budget update by the administration and a vote by the board on the proposed final budget.

Neiman reported the 6:30 p.m. June 16 school board meeting will include a budget update by the administration and a board vote on the final budget.

Baird asked if the May 12 budget presentation would include the NAPL funding cut.

“I can make changes after the meeting. Further discussion at the May meeting is required,” Neiman said.

Discussion and a vote on the NAPL funding by NASD is expected to be on the agenda for the May 12 board meeting.

The proposed NAPL funding cut was opposed by Makary, Becker and Baird.

“I can’t support [cutting NAPL funding],” Makary said.

Becker said based on a January NAPL report, 11,624 district residents have NAPL library cards, including Northampton, 3,902; Lehigh Township, 1,952; Moore Township, 1,766; Allen Township, 1,042; East Allen Township, 1,100; Bath, 643; and Chapman, 16.

“That’s a lot of people who use the library,” Becker said.

“So, you are OK with cutting staff and not replacing the curtain hanging over our heads?” Harris asked Becker.

The NAHS auditorium stage curtain is recommended for replacement at a cost of approximately $100,000.

“We are looking at cuts in our district. The last time I checked, we are school district, not library, directors,” Harris said.

“The library is a public library and should be funded by the municipalities,” Soldridge said.

Soldridge asked NASD Director of Operations Jonathan Jenny about needed maintenance in the district. Jenny replied NAHS roof repairs are to cost $2.4 million and the Al Erdosy Memorial Stadium turf replacement is to cost $1 million.

After the meeting, Soldridge told a reporter for Northampton Press that four applicants for the school board to represent District Region 3, Bath and Chapman boroughs and Moore Township, will be interviewed at a special public meeting, set for 5:30 p.m. April 30 in the cafeteria at Northampton Area Middle School, 1617 Laubach Ave.

School directors voted 7-0 at the April 14 meeting to approve and accept the letter of resignation submitted by Bretzik, resigning from the NASD board of directors, as of March 7 for Region 3 — Bath and Chapman boroughs and Moore Township.

Bretzik was lauded by several school directors and district residents at the meeting.

“It’s definitely a loss to the district with the loss of Mrs. Bretzik,” McCulloch said.

“She’s going to be missed up here. She did a lot of homework. It’s a real loss,” Harris said.

“Mrs. Bretzik spent a lot of time and energy,” Becker said.

“Thank you for all the nice comments about my wife,” said Jerry Bretzik during the audience comments portion of the meeting.