New Kensington-Arnold School Board candidate ineligible to claim seat over residency issue

One of four candidates who ran unopposed for the New Kensington-Arnold School Board will not be able to take the seat, according to the interim director of Westmoreland County Elections.

Peter Nkemakolam ran for a school board seat in the district’s Region 3. However, Nkemakolam lives in Region 2, interim elections Director Greg McCloskey said Monday. He did not say how the issue came to light.

Because he does not meet the district’s residency requirement, the school board will not be able to swear in Nkemakolam when it reorganizes Dec. 6, McCloskey said.

Nkemakolam said he wasn’t sure how the district’s voting regions were structured.

“I reached out to the election board before the election and there was nothing they could do, I was already on the ballot,” he said.

Nkemakolam said he will seek a public office again.

“We all have something to contribute to the Commonwealth and the school district,” he said.

That will leave the seat vacant for the school board to fill with an appointment. The person appointed would hold the seat until the next local election in 2023, McCloskey said.

Tony Vigilante, school board solicitor, said the school board will have to appoint someone to the board who lives in Region 3 during the reorganization meeting next month.

New Kensington-Arnold’s nine-member school board has three representatives from each of three regions. Four incumbents did not run for reelection this year: Bob Pallone in Region 1, John DeAntonio in Region 2 and Scott Bussard and Chelsea Stone in Region 3.

The others who ran unopposed for the seats are Jane Graham in Region 1, Nick DiCarolis in Region 2 and Sarah Yurga in Region 3. All, including Nkemakolam, were crossfiled as Democrats and Republicans.

In Region 3, Yurga received 894 votes, while Nkemakolam garnered 636, according to unofficial results.

McCloskey said county elections was not aware of any issues concerning the other candidates.

The results of the Nov. 2 election will be precertified Wednesday, with final certification as early as Nov. 22, McCloskey said.

Members remaining on the New Kensington-Arnold School Board whose seats are up for election in 2023 are Eric Doutt and Terry Schrock in Region 1, Steven Sorch and Beckes in Region 2 and John Cope in Region 3.