NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — A familiar face has been appointed to the Northampton Area School Board after a school director stepped down last month.
David Gogel, 74, a former longtime school director, was chosen Monday to represent Region 3, which covers Bath, Chapman and Moore Township. He was sworn in after a round of public interviews.
Gogel filled the vacancy created by the resignation of Brian McCulloch — the second school director to exit the board early in the last six months.
In McCulloch’s case, he resigned instead of letting the board ask the courts to declare his seat vacant “on the grounds of non-residency.”
That’s after he recently moved out of his Bath home due to “personal issues.”
McCulloch’s resignation coincided with his filing of a lawsuit against the school board for allegedly violating the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, which requires public deliberation on district business.
Now, Gogel will serve out the remainder of McCulloch’s term, which expires in December 2027.
Rejoining board to improve community
School directors voted 6-2 to appoint Gogel, who went up against two other applicants for the role.
Board President Kristin Soldridge and Vice President Nathan Lichtenwalner voted in favor of Gogel’s appointment, along with school directors Michael Baird, John Becker, Joshua Harris and Ross Makary.
School directors Parker Flamisch and Douglas Vaughn voted against Gogel’s appointment.
“I think it’s a citizen's prerogative to try [to] make things better for us all involved in the school district."David Gogel, recently appointed school director
Gogel, a former district parent and a retiree who previously sold auto parts for nearly five decades, served on the school board from 2003 to 2023.
He unsuccessfully interviewed to fill another board vacancy in the spring.
He also cross-filed in the May primary to represent Region 3, but he did not advance to the general election next month.
During his Monday interview, Gogel said he wanted to rejoin the school board “to make our community a better place.”
“I think it’s a citizen's prerogative to try [to] make things better for us all involved in the school district,” he said.
Funding presents challenges in public education
Gogel also said he is a proponent of student field trips, which expose students to new experiences and work opportunities.
In line with Gogel’s take, Northampton Area School District has invested in its job shadow programming at the high school in recent years to prepare students to enter the workforce.
When asked about the district’s strengths, Gogel pointed to the district’s curriculums, facilities and employees.
He also said the district tries “to use all of our funding that we receive or that we have to the best of our ability.”
When it comes to challenges facing public education, Gogel called attention to funding.
He said charter schools and others take “our tax money without the same rules we have to follow.” He also called for more investment of state and federal dollars into public schools.
“We always try to keep property taxes under control. I think we did a good job previously on the board.”David Gogel, recently appointed school director
“It’s always a hassle every year when budget time comes,” he said.
“Hopefully, the federal people and the state people will soon start putting their share in,” he said.
“We always try to keep property taxes under control. I think we did a good job previously on the board.”
In June, school directors approved a $140.7 million final budgetwith a 4% tax increase.
In the previous four budget cycles, the average tax hike was 0.63%. There were two years without tax increases, and in 2021 and 2024, there were 1.5% and 1% increases, respectively.
A call to trust the district’s administrators
Gogel said being a school director has its challenges, such as understanding various interest groups in the district and trying to serve the majority of them.
“Some people might say things about you — some people might say bad things, some people might say good," he said.
"But overall, you have to understand, take it and try to do the best you can under the circumstances.”
Based on his observations of the board in the time since he left it in 2023, Gogel also said school directors need to support the district administration “100% of the time.”
Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik and his administration have faced public pushback from board members at various times over the last year on facilities issues as the district builds a new elementary school and temporarily closes another.
Gogel said administrators need to be trusted because they have the expertise to lead the district.
“They’re the ones with the education, they're the ones with the knowledge, they’re the ones that have more years of experience than even myself, being here and being able to run this place,” he said.
Other applicants
The other applicants who went up against Gogel on Monday were Vicky Woodard and Katie Hock.
Woodard, 68, is a retired computer science professor.
She said during her interview she wanted to give back to the community and hadn’t been involved with the district — but said that would change if appointed.
Hock, 35, a district parent who owns a cleaning business, is a Girl Scout leader for district students and a member of the Parent Teacher Association at Moore Elementary.
Hock said she has deep ties in the district, and she believes student bullying and the tax burden on seniors are issues that the district needs to address.
