Welcome New PT School Board Members
Posted by Webby on January 11, 2010
From the PT Star:
Two incumbents and two newcomers were elected to the nine-member Penn Trafford School Board on Tuesday.
Incumbents Larry Harrison and Jay Tray won four-years terms in Regions 1 and 2, respectively. Newcomers Rich Niemiec and Toni Ising won four-year terms in Regions 2 and 3. Ising, who crossfiled, ran unopposed and received 1,223 votes.
The four will take office in December.
All results are unofficial until confirmed by the county elections department.
Region 1
Incumbent Republican Larry Harrison, 67, bested former school board member Sallie Bradley, 68, a Democrat, by a margin of 1,087 to 591.
Harrison said he’s excited to continue serving on the board.
“It’s gratifying in the sense that I must have been doing some things right that satisfied the voters and residents,” he said Tuesday night. “I’m looking forward to working with fellow board members.
“I think with everyone working together, we could make significant headway toward that goal.”
During his campaign, he said the school board must focus on upgrading facilities, holding the line on taxes and having 100 percent proficiency in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment in the upcoming years.
Region 2
Incumbent Jay Tray, 62, who was crossfiled, and newcomer Republican Rich Niemiec, 51, won two four-year terms in the region with 1,049 and 822 votes, respectively. Democrat Rose Ann Pfeiffer, 72, came in third with 571 votes.
Tray, who was appointed to the school board two years ago, said he was excited to win his first election.
“It was a very pleasant surprise,” he said Tuesday night. “I’m delighted to continue on for four more years, and I will certainly pay attention to the needs of our diverse population.
“We’re facing some consolidation and some building, and we’ll strive to maintain the strong education standards of the district.”
Niemiec said he’s looking forward to serving on the board.
“I’m excited about the outcome of the election, and I’m anxious to get started and hopefully make a difference for the people who put their faith in me,” he said. “By being John Wilforth’s replacement on the board I have some big shoes to fill. I hope I can serve the community as well as he did.”
