Northwestern Lehigh School Board’s Nov. 19 meeting began with an art presentation by art teacher Tracy Smoyer.
During the presentation she showcased two of the school’s artists in residency for 2025,
Rebecca Kelly, a fiber artist, spent a total of 60 days in the spring with all students in kindergarten through fifth grade making applique art and a hand sewn quilt.
“We went through the PA Council of the Arts art grant with matching funds,” Smoyer said. “The core group, fifth grade students were given some landmarks and worked with Google Earth websites to find places such as Wanamaker’s General Store, Ontelaunee Park and the Rec fields to sketch out before getting embroidery materials,”
She said students were also encouraged to sketch local plants, vehicles, and animals to enhance their design.
Smoyer said the second artist in residency was Ralph Masiello in the fall who worked on an American Flag collaboration with students in kindergarten through fourth grade and with fifth grade students on the Tiger mural located in D wing.
“He previously did a mural with fifth grade students in 2017 during a Friend of Northwestern Elementary five-day residency, “Smoyer said.
After the art presentation, student certificates were handed out to kindergarten students Oliver Lewis and Josie Smith, first grade students Genevieve Chunko, Carlton Drake and Nola Hermany, second grade students Bryce Kunkel and Kinley Quier and third graders Sloane Drake and Colin Peters.
Certificates were also given to fourth graders Annalise Chunko, Hunter George, fifth graders Asa Hermany, Blaise Hoppes, McKenzie Lewis and Lane Quier and sixth graders Joseph Chunko, Dallas Hoppes, Nora Kunkel, Danica Quier and Zoey Weikert.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Holman began her monthly report discussing the state’s budget.
“We do have a state budget. There are a small amount of additional funding for Northwestern,” Holman said. “We did receive additional basic education funding of $57,000 and $50,000 in special education funding.”
She said as with every component of a budget come with it are some good and some bad and one is Northwestern has to accept cash at events.
“There is some charter reform in the budget,” Holman said. “They did tell us it will save us about $94,000. But you have to remember last year they gave us an additional $58,000.”
She said there are some things built in there for cyber charter schools.
“They will have to submit residency to us twice a year that we will have to check,” Holman said. “There are also some certification changes within the school code. They’re changing the certifications for teachers.”
There will be more to come on that as well as 11 notifications starting on Jan. 5, she said.
“We will be putting out some proactive notification to our families about what that would look like, what information they will receive so they will know what they will get from us before that new law takes effect,” Holman said.
Another item discussed on the agenda was the updated 2025-2026 gate ticket prices for events.
Prior to reviewing the updated ticket prices through a slide presentation, Jason Zimmerman, director of Athletics and Student Activities gave a brief history on the issue.
This is a result of getting another unfunded mandate on the revision of ticket prices originally approved in June of 2025, Zimmerman said.
“Before I get into the details, state Rep. Gary Day, R-187th, went out to Harrisburg back in March to testify that this was merely a bill that was subtracted,” Zimmerman said. “Mr. Day and I spent the entire day in meetings and hearings. Mr. Day was very helpful with the leadership.”
Zimmerman said the new pricing addresses concerns that no one, especially senior citizens, gets turned away at the gate before he explained how the whole thing got started.
“What happened was a state representative went to a concert out in Berks/Lancaster area. He was truly upset because they did not know who he was and thought he should not get in because of who he was,” Zimmerman said. “So ultimately the bill died even though we were very successful.”
He said as of Nov. 19 the proposed online only advanced tickets for football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, and wrestling will be $6 for adults and $4 for students.
Gate ticket online and cash sales are $8 adults and $5 for students.
Middle school football and field hockey online only advanced tickets will be $4 for adults and $3 for students.
Gate ticket Online and cash sales are $6 adults and $4 for students.
High school theater productions online only advanced tickets will be $10 for adults and $7 for students.
Gate ticket online and cash sales are $12 adults and $8 for students.
Middle school theater productions online only advanced tickets will be $6 for adults and $4 for students.
Gate ticket online and cash sales are $8 adults and $5 for students.
After further discussion, the board approved the updated 2025-2026 gate ticket prices.