Several new faces among victors in Allegheny Valley School Board race

Among the four newly elected members of Allegheny Valley School Board, only one is an incumbent.

Current Board President Nino Pollino, who earned the second most votes, will retain a seat he’s held for most of the past three decades.

He’ll be joined by Fred Derringer, Rebecca Mundok and Colleen Crumb, who served a brief stint on the board as an appointee.

Derringer collected the most votes with 21.2%. He was followed by Pollino with 21.1%, Mundok with 20.4% and Crumb with 20.1%.

Though most candidates were cross-filed, the results yielded an even party split. Derringer and Mundok are registered Democrats, while Pollino and Crumb are Republicans.

Derringer said he’s looking forward to bringing together local municipalities and communities. He said he’s hoping not to get bogged down by politics.

His position as top vote-getter was a significant achievement for him, Derringer said.

“I was very pleased to see that. It means a lot,” he said. “It was a really good moment for me.”

As he takes his seat, Derringer said he’d first try to absorb his new role and learn from incumbents to see where he can best offer his help.

No stranger to election victories, Pollino said he’s looking forward to working with his new colleagues.

“It’s always nice to see new faces on the board,” he said.

Though members may have differences of opinions, Pollino said each director is there for the benefit of the district.

While Pollino retained his seat, the other three victors will fill seats currently occupied by Larry Pollick, Salvatore Conte and Mary Ellen Ecker.

The four winners will be sworn in next month.