UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Democrats swept the Southern Lehigh School Board election Tuesday, defeating incumbents to shift control of the board come December.
The winners, based on unofficial results, are Democratic candidates Kimberly Jaramillo, Luis Melecio, Josh Rager and Chris Sykora, who ran together on a slate.
Jaramillo, a registered Democrat, also appeared on the Republican ticket because she cross filed in the primary and won a spot on the ballot.
“We’re grateful to the community for placing their trust in us."Kimberly Jaramillo, Democratic winner of Southern Lehigh School Board race
“We’re grateful to the community for placing their trust in us,” Jaramillo told LehighValleyNews.com in a Thursday statement.
“Our team is committed to bringing collaboration, transparency and respect back to board governance, both in how we work together as board members and in how we engage with our community.”
In a Thursday statement, Rager said he was “blown away and humbled” by the support his team earned throughout the campaign.
“When we saw the results coming in, the excitement was palpable,” he said. “We have an amazing opportunity to move Southern Lehigh forward with compassion, integrity and inclusivity.”
Republican incumbents defeated, but proud of work
Rager and his fellow slate members beat out Republican candidates Paul Deebel, Stephen Maund and Christopher Wayock.
Maund and Wayock currently serve on the board and will finish out their four-year terms next month, ending their time on the board, at least for now. The two each served one term.
Additionally, Maund has been board president since June when former president Emily Gehman was ousted from the role.
“I am pleased with the strong foundation we built together."Stephen Maund, Southern Lehigh School Board President who lost re-election
In Thursday statements to LehighValleyNews.com, Maund and Wayock highlighted the progress made in the district during their tenures.
Maund pointed to work modernizing curriculums and facilities, balancing budgets and rebuilding the district’s administrative team.
“I am pleased with the strong foundation we built together,” he said.
Wayock said the board has “invested heavily in improving the learning environment” for students over the past four years.
“We have a great school district, and I hope that the future board continues to move things in a positive direction while being good stewards of tax dollars,” Wayock said.
Asked about their assessment of the race’s outcome, Maund and Wayock both noted the Democrats’ success with voters who submitted mail-in ballots.
Deebel said Democrats swept the Southern Lehigh region in Tuesday’s election in part because of a strong turnout for state judicial retention questions on whether to extend the terms of Democratic judges.
He said that had a “clear down ballot effect.”
“It’s sad that partisan politics has really divided everything in our community now even down to the school board race,” said Deebel, who has unsuccessfully run for a Southern Lehigh School Board seat three times.
“It really shouldn’t be that way.”
Board dynamic to shift
In addition to Maund and Wayock, school directors Nicole King and Mary Joy Reinartz will leave the board in December, too.
Their terms will come to an end, and they didn’t seek re-election.
King, Maund, Reinartz and Wayock often vote together on issues, along with school Director Melissa Torba.
Based on their campaigns and public comments, the newly elected slate of candidates are expected to align with the remaining school directors — Eric Boyer, Gehman, Timothy Kearney and Candi Kruse — who have been in the minority when it comes to recent controversial votes.
In fact, the board shakeup comes after months of controversy in the district, including payouts to two former administrators — the superintendent and human resources director — in exchange for their resignations.
Former Superintendent Michael Mahon parted ways with the district under two agreements that granted him more than $246,000, along with other benefits, such as continued health care coverage.
That was after former Human Resources Director Ethan Ake-Little accused Mahon of discrimination, retaliation and fraud — which Mahon called “unfair.”
Ake-Little subsequently was suspended while his performance was investigated before he walked away with a $215,000 settlement agreement.
Throughout their campaigns, the winners of the recent election have criticized the current school board majority for approving the payouts, calling them a waste of taxpayer dollars.
But with the money spent and other district business to attend to, the soon-to-be school directors have their eyes on what needs to be done in Southern Lehigh moving forward.
Priorities moving forward
Jaramillo, a district parent and physician, said she and fellow slate members will be focused on supporting teachers and improving district communication.
Additionally, they will focus on ensuring the success of the district’s grade realignment, including by making sure district libraries and playgrounds are age-appropriate, slate members said.
Southern Lehigh will transition its kindergarten to a full-day program next school year. Currently, it is a half-day offering.
“We have a need to build a better information pipeline between our district and the community."Luis Melecio, Democratic winner of Southern Lehigh School Board race
At the same time, third-graders will be moved from the district’s two elementary schools — Hopewell and Liberty Bell — to its intermediate school, which currently serves grades 4-6.
“We’re optimistic about this new chapter for Southern Lehigh and eager to get to work for our students and families,” Jaramillo said.
In a Thursday statement, Melecio, a district parent and an industrial maintenance electrician, echoed the slate’s focus on the grade realignment and highlighted the need for improved board communication.
“We have a need to build a better information pipeline between our district and the community,” he said.
Sykora, a district parent and an aerospace mechanical engineer, said his priorities on the board will be “listening, learning [and] governing responsibly.”
He and Rager also highlighted the need to improve the district’s technology department.
Sykora said he wants to “make sure our technology support system keeps pace with student needs and remains responsive for district-issued devices.”
Rager, a district parent and a business development executive and project manager for a steel pipe mill, said the district’s technology team needs more staff to handle student needs.
He cited complaints from parents and students about a lack of assistance “when it’s needed the most.”
Ultimately, Rager and fellow slate members are ready to get to work. And they are eager to serve the community, they said.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity to give back to this amazing community that has welcomed my family so graciously,” Rager said.
