LANSDALE- Convening for a Special Action Meeting with the election of a School Board member at the top of the agenda, the NPSD Board of School Directors met on Thursday, January 5th. After the passing of Carolyn Murphy, a former NPHS German teacher and School Board member, her seat was up for election.

Following the members of the audience who addressed the Board, two candidates, Tina Stoll and Patrick McGee Jr., were nominated among several other applicants. With a 6-2 vote, McGee was elected by the Board to fill the vacant seat.

With a larger turnout from community members than usual applicants for the position and supporters of applicants took the opportunity to address the board before tackling the agenda.

Tina Stoll, a NPSD graduate from the class of 1983 with extensive experience and dedication to the district, stepped up to the podium first and discussed her genuine knowledge, service, and involvement with the district.

Running for a position during the 2011, 2013, and 2015 elections and requesting to be appointed during the three opportunities to do so, Stoll proved unsuccessful; however, she noted that it hasn’t deterred her from staying involved.

“I ran for the position three times, and I asked to be appointed three times, but despite not making it on the Board, I’ve continued to come to Board and Committee meetings the entire time. Over the years, I’ve learned how the Board and Committees work,” stated Stoll while addressing the Board at the podium.

Following Stoll, six out of the twelve community members who addressed the Board expressed their advocacy for Stoll and encouraged the Board to vote for her. McGee was one of the last few members of the audience to address the Board, where he discussed his candidacy.

Transitioning to the Superintendent’s Report, McGee and Stoll were nominated to the floor for a vote, which called for a roll-call vote and the name of the candidate of who in support of. The Board favored McGee with a majority of 6-2, which resulted in a negative reaction from the audience.

Members of the audience shouted “shame,” “what a disgrace,” and “you people are a joke” to express their disapproval of the Board’s decision before leaving the meeting.

Much of the disapproval stems from the fact that Vincent Sherpinsky, President of the Board, had contacted Stoll previously when she was pursuing an appointment and told her that he owed it to the voters to vote a Republican to the seat, which was given up by a Republican.

Stoll and the community members who spoke reminded the Board of their logic and were angered that a Republican was elected to fill the spot of a Democrat.

After the meeting, McGee, who has three children in the NPSD district, recognized that it was a difficult vote for the Board and that Murphy left behind a legacy. McGee also explained that he looks forward to carrying on the previous Board member’s work, working with the community, and making sure that he gives back.

McGee also expressed how humbled and honored he is to have the opportunity to serve all 98,000 residents of the district.

“I think the goal, number one, is to make sure that we’re doing what’s right for our residents, for our students, and for the administration,” stated McGee. “I think that our public education system is really [that] we’re a district of distinction making sure that we continue all of the good work that the Board is doing.”

A Montgomery County native, McGee stated that he has been involved in the community, has lived in the NPSD since 2004, and can contribute a unique perspective to the Board. He explained that he plans to accomplish his goals through collaboration.

The next meeting of the Board of School Directors is scheduled at the Educational Services Center for January 9th, 2017 as a Work Session.

Voting Results from the Board of School Directors:

Timothy S. Kerr – McGee

Frank O’Donnell – McGee

Theresa Prykowski – McGee

John Schilling – McGee

Josephine Charnock – McGee

Suzan Leonard – Stoll

Edward Diasio – Stoll

Vincent Sherpinsky McGee

McGee- 6

Stoll- 2