Richard McClure voted in as North Allegheny School Board president
The Republican majority on the North Allegheny School Board voted in two of its members as president and vice president during the school board’s reorganization meeting Dec. 1.
On 5-4 votes, Richard McClure became school board president and Libby Blackburn vice president.
Newly elected board members Leslie Britton Dozier, Paige Hardy and Dr. Vidya Szymkowiak took their seats during that session. McClure was sworn in to serve another term.
Voting for McClure were Blackburn, Marcie Crow, Szymkowiak and Shannon Yeakel. McClure cast a vote for himself.
Democrat Elizabeth Warner also was nominated as president. She thanked board members for the nomination, then encouraged the board to vote in a president and vice president from each party, stating she would vote for a Republican president if a Democrat vice president were selected. She expressed concern that members from one party would have both leadership positions.
Voting for Warner were fellow Democrats Britton Dozier, Hardy and Kevin Mahler. Warner cast a vote for herself.
Warner noted that voters elected two Republicans and two Democrats during the Nov. 2 general election to serve on the school board and said that politics should be put aside for school districts. McClure and Szymkowiak ran on the Republican ticket in the recent election. Hardy and Britton Dozier represented the Democrats.
“A school board is supposed to be nonpartisan, but has become political,” she said.
After McClure was voted in as president, Warner was then nominated for vice president. But Blackburn took the position, 5-4.
Blackburn noted that both she and fellow board member Marcie Crow received both the Republican and Democratic nominations for school board in 2019.
“I plan to represent everyone in North Allegheny,” Blackburn said.
McClure said the board members each bring their own “unique experience, knowledge and passion” to support the North Allegheny School District.
Also, board members get to participate in various leadership sessions throughout the year, he said.
“Leadership is not in a vacuum,” he said.
Natalie Beneviat is a Trib Total Media contributing writer.
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