Retired Army officer wins Mt. Pleasant Area School Board seat
A retired Army officer has won a two-year seat on the Mt. Pleasant Area School Board, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election.
Republican William Johnson of Mt. Pleasant Township received 51.6% of the vote, while Democrat Kathleen Ceroni received 44.8% of the vote. Ceroni, a retired Southmoreland High School teacher, trailed Johnson by 444 votes.
“I was shocked. I am humbled,” Johnson said of his victory.
Johnson said he campaigned somewhat for the seat, but he believes that his candidacy as a Republican in the school district — which serves Mt. Pleasant borough and township, and Donegal borough and township — played a big role in his victory. But, he said his political views will not be a factor in his tenure on the board.
“The school board should be non-political. My political ideas will have nothing to do with how I act” on the school board, Johnson said.
Ceroni could not be reached for comment.
Four incumbents running for four-year terms on the school board faced no opposition: Brad Coppula, Luann Eckels, Allison Brooks and Eric Poole.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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