Schools

Board to Mull Over NCC's $10K Contribution Increase

Dr. Mark Erickson's news wasn't necessarily a blow to Nazareth Area School District's working budget. The school board initially expected to pay an extra $18,000.

Although the number of Nazareth graduates who attended Northampton Community College during the 2011-12 school year decreased, the Bethlehem Township-based college is still seeking a 1.80 percent increase in the district’s annual contribution.

Dr. Mark Erickson, who was named NCC’s new president in December 2011, presented a budget overview Monday night to the Nazareth Area School Board. He asked the board to consider a proposed 1.80 percent increase, which amounts to $10,358.

In February 2012, when Dr. Art Scott was still NCC’s president, . That amount was tacked on to the district’s yearly contribution of $600,000.

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But Erickson’s news wasn’t necessarily a blow to the district’s working budget.

Superintendent Dennis Riker on Feb. 5 said the district’s preliminary budget included a tax hike of .73 mills—down from .92 mills. The drop in the projected property tax increase is attributed in part to a $7,600 drop in the district’s share of NCC’s proposed budget. 

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In other words, the board initially expected to pay an extra $18,000 to NCC.

The college has eight sponsoring school districts in Northampton County—and it must get its proposed $70.4 million operating budget approved by five of the eight local school districts—including: 

  • Bangor – $2,704 (-0.69%)
  • Bethlehem - $53,157 (2.53% increase)
  • Easton - $19,877 (1.75% increase)
  • Northampton - $2,492 (0.37% increase)
  • Pen Argyl - $83 (-0.02%)
  • Saucon Valley - $1,948 (0.78% increase)
  • Wilson - $11,467 (4.27% increase)

Districts pay a share of the operating budget determined by a formula that takes into account how many of each district's graduates attended the school in the past five years.

Erickson also reported that 584 students attended NCC during the fall 2012 semester—43.2 percent of those students were full time.

In all, 1,874 NCC students were from the Nazareth Area School District during the 2011-2012 school year. That’s 80 fewer students than the previous year.

Erickson thanked the board for its support of Northampton Community College and its students.

He added: "I have worked [at NCC] for about eight months now, and let me tell you: It is a place that really matters."


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