Anti-mask Republicans win Norwin School Board seats

Three Republican newcomers who vocally opposed the mask mandate in schools and a GOP incumbent beat four other candidates in Tuesday’s election for four-year terms on the Norwin School Board, according to unofficial results.

Newcomers Christine Baverso, 44, Alex Detschelt, 45, and Shawna Ilagan, 39, joined incumbent Raymond Kocak, 58, on the Republican ballot as winners, according to unofficial results.

Baverso led all candidates with 15% of the vote, followed by Kocak, seeking his second consecutive term with 14.5% of the vote. Ilagan had 14.2% of the vote and Detschelt received 14.1%.

The three Democrats — Dana Barvinchak Williams, 41, Carrie McConnell Muniz, 47, and Rob Bunovich, 43 — and Brian Carlton, 41, a Republican who won only on the Democratic ticket in the primary, each received between 10% and 11% of the vote. Carlton led the Democratic ticket with 10.8% of the vote, followed by Williams and Bunovich with 10.4% and Muniz with 10.2%.

Director Donald Rhodes did not seek reelection and Tony Corsa, appointed by the board to fill a vacancy in 2019, did not run for a full term.

As school board president, Carlton was one of the targets of the anger of anti-masking foes who attended school board meetings and shouted at the board to defy state mandates requiring masks in the school buildings.

School board meetings this past year have been contentious at times, with those opposing mask mandates criticizing the administration and the school board, while others supporting the mandates. A Sept. 13 board meeting became chaotic when those opposing mask mandates refused to wear masks in the high school and the meeting abruptly adjourned amid screaming by some audience members.

The school district serves North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin in Westmoreland County and about 18 residences in White Oak and South Versailles in Allegheny County.