Two administrative retirees have been lauded for their service to the Northern Lehigh School District.

Superintendent Matthew J. Link recognized two administrative retirees “who have done tremendous work for our school district for quite some time now.”

Link acknowledged the work of both Susan Bahnick, food service director, and Rhonda Frantz, co-director of business affairs, at last week’s school board meeting.

Food service director

Link said Bahnick was hired full-time on July 1, 2009, as the district’s food services director.

“Mrs. Bahnick has done an exceptional job for the district, and this just scratches the surface here; state food service audits, supervising staff, opening day meals for all of the professional and support staff, holiday meals and baskets, as well as really anything that’s been asked of the food services department,” Link said.

“Mrs. Bahnick went above and beyond the last two years during the pandemic; she organized the grab-and-go lunches, dealt with food shortages and deliveries, and encouraged her staff to stay positive, and to keep the main thing the main thing, and that is our students, and they did that every single day, including the summer.”

Link noted that Bahnick will retire from the district on Dec. 31 after 12½ years of service.

“Mrs. Bahnick will be greatly missed by the district, and for her leadership in the food services department,” he said.

Co-director of business affairs

Link said Frantz was hired full-time on March 15, 1983, as a Bookkeeper II in the administration office.

On July 23, 1986, Frantz was transferred to the Bookkeeper I position.

During her time in the bookkeeper position, she was contracted to fill in as the business manager over two years.

On Sept. 12, 2011, Frantz was hired as the co-director of business affairs/employee payroll and benefits.

“Mrs. Frantz has also served the district as a game-worker, she has been an integral part of the business office with child accounting, benefits and audits; there’s a lot of audits that happen in a school district, and it is because of people like Rhonda and Sue that we are always highly successful in our outcomes,” he said.

Further, Link said Frantz has been “our go-to for Northern Lehigh School District history.”

“If I want to know something about one of the schools that no longer exist in the district, or the redistricting or the merging of the school district, Rhonda is always happy to sit down and have a conversation with me about it, and I’m going to miss those conversations,” he said.

Link noted that Frantz will retire from the district on Dec. 31, after almost 39 years of service to the district.

Frantz thanked the board for its support throughout her tenure.

“Ten years ago when (co-director of business affairs/human resources) Sherri (Molitoris) and I came to you with the concept of splitting the business manager position, you actually embraced the idea and helped us be very successful, and it was my honor and my pleasure to work with all of you,” Frantz said.