NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — At long last, Northampton Area School Board on Monday made a decision about what’s next for Moore Elementary School.
School directors voted 7-2 for an estimated $51 million complete renovation of the school building, slated to begin in summer 2026 and wrap up in time for the 2028-29 academic year.
“We’re finally making some decisions that we’ve been talking about for a number of years,” district Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik said.
“I wish it would have been done a little bit quicker, but I understand the deliberation, the analysis and how long it took.”
"I wish it would have been done a little bit quicker, but I understand the deliberation, the analysis and how long it took."Northampton Area Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik
Though the district has considered the fate of Moore for longer, the current board has debated for about six months about whether to keep the school open and how to update it.
At the same time, the district has continued building its new elementary school in East Allen Township that’s set to open in 2026.
Some school directors previously argued the new school shouldn’t have been built, and Moore Elementary, at 2835 Mountain View Drive in Bath, should have been prioritized instead.
After months of debating the matter and rehashing past board decisions, most school directors found common ground Monday, even if they weren’t all enthusiastic about their decision.
“In the past, we’ve had a lot of disagreements," Board President Kristin Soldridge said.
"There’s been a lot of comments made about how disconnected our board is, but I’m really proud that our board could get together tonight to figure out a direction for Moore.”
Moore Elementary options
School directors had to choose from seven options for updating Moore Elementary that ranged from partial renovation options with various scopes to the complete demolition of the current school building to build anew.
Cost of the options ranged from $15.5 million to $70 million.
At Monday’s meeting, an earlier vote for a $21.7 million partial renovation failed, as did a vote to build a new Moore Elementary building from scratch.
Because of the board’s impasse, Soldridge suggested school directors move forward with the full renovation option because it allows flexibility if the district needs to change plans later.
The full renovation would update the school’s roof, sewer system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, among other improvements.
“It was getting very challenging to keep telling them, ‘I don’t know.' But I do now, so now we can start planning.”Curtis Dimmick, Moore Elementary School Principal
School directors Kim Bretzik and Joshua Harris were the only ones to vote against the full renovation.
Instead, they favored the $21.7 million partial renovation, which Harris said was a cost-effective way to meet the most pressing needs of the school.
School Director Brian McCulloch voted for the full renovation, but said he would have preferred the partial.
“We have to do something, and we can’t keep pushing it down the road forever,” he said. ”We need to get it done. We need to get something going.”
School directors Ross Makary and John Becker both voted for the full renovation with hesitation about whether it was the right choice.
Makary has been vocal about wanting a new Moore Elementary building.
Despite qualms from school directors, Moore Elementary Principal Curtis Dimmick said he’s happy a decision has been made. Now, students’ families know what the future holds, he said.
“It was getting very challenging to keep telling them, ‘I don’t know,’” Dimmick said. “But I do now, so now we can start planning.”
