Warner voted in as president of North Allegheny School Board

The North Allegheny School Board will be led by two Democrats.

School board members elected Democrat Elizabeth Warner as president during a board reorganization meeting Dec. 6 by a vote of 7-0 with two abstentions. Democrat Paige Hardy was elected vice president on a 5-4 vote.

Warner, who was re-elected to a four-year term in November, was the top vote-getter in the race receiving 10,177 votes.

The election put Democrats in the majority on the nine member board. Newly elected board members Democrats Dr. Bob Gibbs and Dr. Anisha Shah joined incumbents Leslie Britton Dozier, Warner and Hardy.

Also re-elected in November were Republicans Libby Blackburn, who had been school board president, and Michael Weniger. They join fellow Republicans Richard McClure and Dr. Vidya Szymkowiak.

Warner was the only one nominated for board president.

Szymkowiak said she was abstaining from the vote because she felt there should be bipartisan leadership. Blackburn concurred, noting bipartisan leadership would be apparent once the vice president’s position was voted upon.

Britton Dozier nominated Hardy, who joined the board two years ago.

Szymkowiak nominated McClure, who has been on the board since 2015 and has served as president and vice president.

Hardy won on votes from Britton Dozier, Gibbs, herself, Shah, and Warner.

Weniger said he voted for Warner for president because, “It’s the right thing to do.” But he indicated bipartisan leadership was important, supporting McClure.

“Mr. McClure has significant experience as president and vice president,” Weniger said.

He noted Warner had been a vocal advocate for bipartisan leadership during the last reorganization vote two years previous, and that it should be no different now.

“Words matter. The community learns something about us,” he said.

Szymkowiak and Blackburn echoed similar sentiments and that McClure would help represent both sides.

“Two years ago, you stated it was very important to have bipartisan leadership. Mr. McClure is actually the person who tries to compromise the most and gets us to middle ground. He has reached across the aisle a million times,” Blackburn said.

Gibbs indicated that votes two years ago ran along party lines as well. He said while he greatly admires McClure’s work as president and board member, Hardy has impressed him, too.

“I have 100 percent confidence in her ability to serve as a leader on this board,” Gibbs said.

Hardy and Warner thanked the board for their positions.

“Even though we don’t see eye to eye with everyone, I know I have common ground with all of my colleagues,” Warner said. “I’m optimistic we can work together.”