NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — Northampton Area School Board recently approved the resignation of school Director Kim Bretzik, creating a vacancy that soon will be filled through public interviews.
The board voted Monday to approve Bretzik’s resignation. According to board documents, she resigned effective March 7 — about nine months before her four-year term was set to expire.
Applicants to fill Bretzik’s seat for the rest of her term will be interviewed publicly by school directors at 5:30 p.m. April 30 in the cafeteria of Northampton Area Middle School.Northampton County School Board documents
Applicants to fill Bretzik’s seat for the rest of her term will be interviewed publicly by school directors at 5:30 p.m. April 30 in the cafeteria of Northampton Area Middle School.
The reason for Bretzik’s departure is unclear.
School directors did not publicly discuss it at the Monday meeting. And Bretzik did not respond to LehighValleyNews.com’s requests for comment.
Bretzik was among three school directors representing Region 3, which consists of Bath and Chapman boroughs, as well as Moore Township.
During discussions about whether to close Moore Elementary School in recent months, Bretzik was vocal about making sure the school remained open and received cost-effective renovations.
Because of budget uncertainty, the board has since decided to delay a $51 million complete renovation of the school.
'A great loss'
School directors Joshua Harris and Brian McCulloch are the remaining representatives of Region 3. Their terms expire in 2027.
There are three candidates seeking Bretzik’s Region 3 seat in the May primary election: David L. Gogel, Parker Flamisch and Jamie Shankweiler Marchiano. All have cross-filed, but only two can continue on to the November general election.
The winning candidate won’t be sworn in until December. That’s why the school board plans to appoint someone to the vacant seat in the interim.
Northampton Area School Board held interviews to fill a board vacancy created by a resignation last April, too.
At the time, school directors could not come to a consensus after candidates were interviewed publicly, and the decision was kicked to a county judge.
As a result, Board Vice President Nathan Lichtenwalner was chosen to represent Region 2, which covers Northampton Borough and East Allen Township.
'A great loss'
Bretzik did not attend the recent board meeting at which school directors accepted her resignation.
But her former colleagues still thanked her publicly for serving the district.
“I know Mrs. Bretzik and I didn’t agree on a lot of things, but she spent a lot of time and effort and energy on her position here,” Director John Becker said.
“I think we all owe her thanks for the service she provided us for the years she was here.”John Becker, Northampton Area School Diretor
“I think we all owe her thanks for the service she provided us for the years she was here.”
“She’s going to be missed up here," Director Harris added. "She did a lot of homework, she was very knowledgeable in what she did. It’s a great loss.”
Additionally, Bretzik’s husband Gerald is suing Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik, some current school directors and others over a 2022 school board incident in which he claims he was removed from a meeting.
Gerald Bretzik subsequently was banned from board meetings temporarily for allegedly “disruptive” behavior, according to court filings.
In the suit, he sought $1.79 million in damages for the district’s handling of the situation.
A settlement meeting is scheduled for June 10 at the federal courthouse in Allentown before Judge Pamela A. Carlos.
