Deer Lakes School Board will have familiar, new faces come December

The Deer Lakes School Board will be a mix of familiar and new faces this December.

According to Allegheny County Elections Division unofficial election results, incumbents Jeremy Love, 49, and Kristi Minnick, 55, both cross-filed, and Jonathan Majernik, 46, Democrat ballot, will be sworn back in this December.

Newcomer Darlene Lutty, 55, secured the fourth open seat.

With about 72% of precincts reporting results, Minnick was the top vote-getter with 2,680 (21.9%) votes.

A total of 12,188 votes were tallied as of 10:30 p.m.

Love received 2,638 votes; Majernik got 2,449 votes; and Lutty got 2,281 votes.

As of 10:30 p.m., Distilo, on the Republican ballot, fell short of a seat with 2,080 votes.

Bolstering finances seemed to be the key issue among all candidates.

Minnick of West Deer has served on the board for eight years. She said fiscal responsibility remains a critical task for the board.

She said Tuesday night that she appreciated the research voters did to pick their candidates.

“It’s a testament to how much people love the community,” she said.

She said people electing officials from a larger pool of options will result in a wider range of representation.

“I had very worthy opponents who were all capable of being top vote-getter,” Minnick said.

Lutty, a newcomer from West Deer, hopes to help with the recent division she has seen both within the school district and the country.

“I intend to cooperate professionally on this bipartisan platform with my mind and ears open to ideas, regardless of who is speaking and to use my education, work experience and the common sense I was brought up with when responding, presenting ideas and voting,” Lutty previously told TribLive.

Lutty commented on her first political campaign Tuesday night.

“I would love to work along side these people,” she said. “I have kids, grandkids and foster kids in Deer Lakes and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

Distilo, another new face, wants to use his seat to help increase transparency.

“I am committed to working collaboratively with our administration to ensure that information is shared with parents as quickly and clearly as possible,” he said. “Additionally, I strongly support video recording all public school board meetings and posting them on the district’s website. Providing visual access, not just audio, helps build trust, improves communication and allows the community to put a face to the voice.”

Love, of East Deer, was reelected for a second term. His focus is on fiscal responsibility and long-term planning to ensure every dollar supports student success. As education costs continue to rise, he plans to pursue grants, partnerships and new programs.

“It means a lot to me, more than anyone can imagine,” he said Tuesday night. “We’re representing everyone and it’s emotional to see the numbers come in.”

Majernik of West Deer said he’s hoping to increase district enrollment. He works with a revitalization committee that strives to bring new businesses into the community. Majernik said he’s extremely proud of the work he’s been able to do in the district.

“For people to recognize those accomplishments and my contributions to them is humbling,” Majernik said Tuesday night.