The next Norwin School Board could be filled mostly with education professionals because two current teachers, two retired teachers and an educational consultant are among the seven candidates seeking five positions.

Voters in Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin, and about 30 votes in White Oak and South Versailles, will vote Tuesday on the candidates seeking four-year terms on the board.

The two incumbents seeking re-election are Darlene Ciocca and Tracey Czajkowski, both of North Huntingdon. William Essay of North Huntingdon, was appointed to the board, is seeking his first full term. Two other incumbents, longtime directors Robert Perkins and Dennis Rittenhouse, opted not to seek re-election.

Two of the candidates are teachers from North Huntingdon: Kim McCann Piekut teaches in South Allegheny and Patrick Lynn teaches at Woodland Hills. Two candidates are retired teachers: Robert Wayman of Irwin retired from Norwin, and Essay, whose wife teaches at Norwin, is retired from Franklin Regional. Czajkowski is an educational consultant.

Ciocca is a health care aide and Joanna Jordan of Irwin is a retired nursing manager who spent three years as a elementary school teacher at the former St. Vincent Elementary School.

Piekut said she believed it is an advantage to be a teacher on the school board “because we understand education” and know the demands on schools. Essay says “it absolutely is a bonus” because teachers understand what is needed for a quality education.

All the candidates expressed their interest in improving education. All the incumbents expressed support for new Superintendent Jeff Taylor, who took over in July upon the retirement of William Kerr. They praised Taylor’s vision for the district and his initiatives to improve communication with the students and community.

The school district last month voted to borrow $9.95 million to bring the high school swimming pool up to current standards and for future unidentified capital improvements.

Ciocca, 63, a Republican, won both the Democratic and Republican nominations in the May primary, was the only director who voted against the $9.95 million bond issue. She said the district has not given the community a breakdown of the projects that would be funded by the bond issue. The only project discussed in detail are the swimming pool repairs.

“I feel it is putting the cart before the horse,” Ciocca said.

Czajkowski, 50, a Republican, who is seeking her second term on the board, won the nomination on the Democratic ticket.

Czajkowski, who writes curricula for the schools and does technical assessments, said she believes the challenge for is to maintain a quality education while fulfilling the mandates for the programs. There is a need for a well-aligned and well-articulated curricula in all content areas, Czajkowski said.

She supported the bond issue, saying that the pool needs to be repaired and the facilities need to be maintained.

Essay, a Democrat, won a nomination on the Republican ticket, said he realizes the district must operate within financial constraints, but is opposed to cutting programs that impact students.

Essay, 58, said he wants to see Norwin reduce the size of its elementary classes. He believes the district is understaffed.

“Are we giving our teachers the training, the time and resources to do what they need to do?” he questioned.

Essay was appointed to the board by county judges in January to fill the unexpired term of Shawn Petrisko, who resigned in August 2018. Essay was selected over two of his electoral opponents: Lynn and Piekut.

Jordan, 71, a Republican, won a spot on the Democratic ballot and was appointed to the Republican ticket this summer, following the withdrawal of Keith Genicola, who had won a spot in Republican ballot by one vote that was cast in Allegheny County.

Jordan said she wants to maintain quality educational programs while being responsible with taxpayer money. She said she would have voted against the bond issue.

Lynn, 37, a Democrat, won a spot on both parties in the May primary. He said he wants to ensure the students, including his two children, will have the quality education that he did.

The bond issue will give the district money to maintain the facilities and help the students, said Lynn, who is the son of former director Al Lynn.

Piekut, 51, a Democrat, said she wants to strive to maintain the district’s quality education “without continually hurting the taxpayers.”

Piekut said she has served the South Allegheny teachers union in a variety of positions, including building representative and president. Piekut said she has experienced contract negotiations.

Wayman, 66, a Republican, is a former member of Irwin council who was appointed mayor in 2015 to replace the late Daniel Rose. He previously was a member of the Elizabeth Forward School Board and said his experience in education and government would be a benefit.

Wayman said he believes it will help to add civics and character education to the curriculum, which would help students understand themselves and the world.

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