5 candidates seek to fill 4 open Leechburg Area School Board seats

The Nov. 4 ballot will feature some familiar faces vying for four open seats on the Leechburg Area School Board.

Incumbents Darius Lovelace, 74, and Candi Stewart, 69, are seeking to keep their seats.

They are being challenged by Neill Brady, 76, and Danielle Reinke, 45, who are looking to return to office after previous stints; and newcomer Janie Borsh Symons, 66.

West Leechburg’s property taxes remain a popular topic among candidates, with a couple of them mentioning continuing to work toward the goal of equal taxation for all of the district’s municipalities.

As Leechburg Area is a school district that crosses county lines, administrators are required to use a formula provided by the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) that tries to equalize the tax burden for all property owners.

But rather than producing an equal tax bill among Gilpin, Leechburg and West Leechburg residents, Westmoreland County residents have been hit with consistent increases in their property tax.

During an October school board meeting, the district announced the business manager found a calculation method to even out the bill between Westmoreland and Armstrong County residents.

It’s news that has left some residents hopeful and some uneasy.

“I give a ton of credit to the current board for the work they’ve done to try to find a solution,” said Reinke, a cross-filed candidate. “I feel we need to make it fair for everyone.”

She said she has heard concern from Gilpin and Leechburg residents about how the solution will affect their tax bills.

“This is a state issue that we need to address together,” Reinke said.

A parent of a Leechburg Area graduate and a current Leechburg Area student, Reinke previously served on the board from 2010 to 2014 but had to step down after starting a new job that didn’t allow her to hold public office. She is currently founder of Danielle Reinke Insurance and Financial Services in Natrona Heights, Harrison.

If elected, Reinke said she wants to keep every level of the district involved in decisions, including students, parents and guardians, staff, administration and taxpayers.

“My heart is here and in the district,” Reinke said. “We need to keep the students and taxpayers involved. You can’t go wrong by keeping them in the decision-making process.”

A lifelong Leechburg resident, Reinke graduated from Leechburg Area High School in 1999 and later earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Borsh Symons of West Leechburg will be on the Republican ticket. She wants to make sure everyone in the community understands the solution to STEB that has been presented, adding the biggest problem residents in all communities face is STEB.

“I’m here to listen, to work and to learn,” Borsh Symons said.

Borsh Symons has lived in West Leechburg for 28 years. She attended Franco Beauty Academy in New Kensington and owns Borsh Hair Design in West Leechburg.

Borsh Symons called herself a possible “bridge” between the school board and the community.

“I’m running for the school board because, as a business owner, I bring finance skills to the table,” she said. “I’ve been able to make community connections through my business. I have a strong relationship with the community through my community service.”

Brady of Leechburg also hopes to encourage more communication between the board and the public.

He said having board members, taxpayers, administration, staff and students on the same page is the best way to get people to work together. Brady served on the board from 2003 to 2023. He currently serves on the Leechburg Zoning Board.

“We have to increase transparency and communication across party lines on the board and in the community,” Brady said.

He said doing so would help keep student performance levels high, which is the top priority.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Brady also earned a professional funeral directors license from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He worked as a global account manager for AT&T until he retired.

Brady also has been teaching higher education for 40 years, currently teaching microeconomics at Butler County Community College, and previously at Penn State New Kensington, PennWest Clarion and Point Park University.

Brady said he’s well-equipped to help balance taxation and improvement projects needed in the district. He said he teaches cost-benefit analysis to his students and would use the same approach in those cases.

“You have to weigh what is needed for the safety of the students and what’s needed to keep the buildings up to code,” Brady said.

Stewart of Leechburg is seeking reelection for a third term.

She said the biggest issue Leechburg Area is facing is the multiple repair projects needed throughout the district.

“We need to analyze and determine these (projects) in the most feasible way in order to proceed with the least effect on taxes,” Stewart said.

She graduated from Leechburg Area in 1974 and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Clarion (now PennWest Clarion) before returning and teaching at the district for more than 35 years.

In regard to capital improvement projects for the school, she said any future case will need to be “closely looked at for cost and purpose, and prioritized in a way to keep taxes reasonable.”

Stewart said any project to ensure student safety and security is warranted.

She feels the board will need to regain trust from the public and work to make students and their education the top priority.

Lovelace, another lifelong resident, will be seeking reelection for his third term.

He said his goals for the district include equitable taxes for all communities, maintaining expense management to keep taxes in line, continuing to introduce new programs to students, and emphasizing parents and teachers involvement in the district.

Lovelace earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and taught students for 40 years before retiring.

He will be featured on both parties’ tickets, along with Reinke and Stewart.