Bradley, McDonald to Continue Leading the Nazareth School Board in 2013

The Nazareth Area School Board made a unanimous wager Monday night on Lorin Bradley, a native of Las Vegas, to serve a third consecutive year as board president.

Meanwhile, board vice president Linda McDonald also was unanimously re-elected to another year in her post.

The voting took place at the board’s reorganization meeting.

Bradley, a Bushkill Township resident completing his fifth year on the board, said one of his goals is to “continue to focus on academic excellence.”

He also wants to continue encouraging an environment of “ownership, accountability and responsibility” and to “drive efficiencies” to control spending and save money.

Bradley attributed his obvious popularity with fellow board members to his focus on consensus and making sure the administration gives consideration to the board’s feedback on issues.

Bradley is the father of seven -- three have graduated from the Nazareth district and four are still going through it, he said. He works for the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. at its West Point facility in Montgomery County.

The board’s next meeting is next Monday, Dec. 10, when the administration will formally introduce the proposed 2013-2014 budget.

The board’s Audit and Finance Committee got a sneak peek at the spending plan last Tuesday. It calls for a 1.9 percent property tax increase to help fund a 3.8 percent increase in spending.

Most of the higher spending is for salaries and benefits, especially higher pension contributions.