Of the 11 candidates vying for four open seats on Plum School Board this year, only three have never sought or held office before.
Three of those running are incumbents, one was recently appointed, two are previous office holders, and two ran and lost in past elections.
Both Democrat and Republican voters will see 10 names on their May 20 primary ballots. Since most candidates are cross-filed, those names will be almost identical, save one name each. Gary Motor is running exclusively as a Republican, while Adam Hill is only running as a Democrat. Four candidates from each ballot will advance to the November general election.
When asked about the biggest issue currently facing the district, two common themes emerged among the candidates: finances and district building projects.
Whether incumbents or newcomers, whoever fills the four seats come December will find themselves in the midst of an ongoing $30 million renovation and addition process at Plum Middle School and O’Block Elementary School.
The longest serving incumbent up for election this year is Angela Anderson, 47, who began her tenure on the board in 2017.
Director of Strategy and Operations for Faith Academics, an online Christian education service, Anderson has served as board president since Dec. 2023.
A Republican with a doctorate in education, Anderson said the biggest challenge for the district is “balancing the growing and diverse needs of our students with the responsibility of maintaining fiscal health.”
She said the board has made “significant progress” updating curriculum, enhancing facilities and launching capital improvements.
“Thanks to the board’s commitment, our bond rating has improved, and our financial outlook is the best it’s been in a decade. The challenge lies in continuing this momentum — meeting high expectations while staying fiscally responsible.” Anderson said.
Also an incumbent, Megan Chuderewicz, 44, has served on the board since 2021. She’s a sales and marketing manager and has master’s degrees in counseling psychology and business administration.
The Republican said the school construction costs have become a “significant concern” because of “escalating costs, outdated funding mechanisms and fiscal constraints.”
“We have two major construction projects coming up and need to make sure the work is completed on time and on budget so that our students can learn in a structurally sound manner while minimizing the burden on the taxpayers,” Chuderewicz said.
A newcomer to school board elections, Geter Sloan, 34, said he believes the biggest issue facing the district is “budget constraints.”
“Rising costs in staffing, infrastructure and special education services continue to strain our financial resources,” he said.
The Democrat serves as program and project manager at TriState Capital Bank and holds a master’s degree in business administration. He also serves on the Plum Borough Planning Commission.
Sloan said budget challenges are “compounded” by unstable state and federal funding.
Another Democratic newcomer, Jill Klipa, 38, shared similar concerns about potential funding cuts amid slashes and shakeups at the Department of Education.
But the office clerk with a bachelor’s degree in public relations also said the board would have to “be creative” to make policies that improve educational standards while considering budgetary constraints.
“Plum consistently underperforms in meeting the same standards in English Language Arts, science and math that other neighboring school districts do, and we need to make up for that deficit while having less federal funding coming our way,” Klipa said.
A Republican, Beverly Purcell, 65, said if federal funding was eliminated, the district would have to “devise some strategies” to replace those federal dollars, which she called “vulnerable and uncertain.”
Now retired, Purcell served nearly 40 years as a special education teacher throughout the region, mainly in Woodland Hills School District. She recently was appointed to the board after nine rounds of voting to fill a vacancy left by Devin Adams, who moved out of the district. That term runs until December, but should she emerge victorious in November, she would simply continue to serve.
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“As a school board, we have a fiscal responsibility to maintain an affordable budget to ensure our taxpayers that we are providing a free and appropriate education for all students currently enrolled in the Plum Borough School District,” she said.
Purcell holds a bachelor’s degree in education, and her husband, Jerry, currently sits on Plum Council.
The final incumbent, Ronald Sakolsky, 68, is a retired longtime Plum social studies teacher.
While he acknowledged the ongoing building projects and forthcoming tax issues, the Republican said he is also seeking the return of full-day kindergarten in the district.
“It is very important that we handle full-day kindergarten. Our young students and our future deserve it,” he said.
Serving on the board since 2021, Sakolsky has a master’s equivalency education from the University of Pittsburgh.
Another familiar face on the ballot this year is Michael Devine, 44, who served on the board between 2019 and 2023. He was board president for three of those years.
The Republican said the most pressing challenge in the district is two “aging” school buildings. The middle school in particular, he said, has come to a “critical point,” in need of a “complete renovation or total reconstruction.”
“As we prepare to make these pivotal decisions, it’s essential to have leadership that is fiscally responsible, transparent, and committed to balancing long-term educational needs with the financial realities of our community,” Devine said.
Holding a bachelor’s degree in history, Devine serves as an account executive for UPMC Health Plan.
Hill, 48, served the same term as Devine from 2019 to 2023.
A system engineer at Pure Storage, a computer storage company, Hill said his primary concerns are funding instability, navigating the costs of the planned capital improvement projects, ensuring the safety of students and staff, and making sure the students and staff have access to the resources they need.
Running solely on the Democratic ballot, Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology.
Motor, 65, who is running solely on the Republican ballot, previously sought a position on the school board in 2023 but lost in the general election. He holds associate degrees in data processing and accounting.
Serving as a data center engineer at TensorWave, Motor said he believes Plum should offer a “well-rounded (education) designed to give our children the skills to succeed in all aspects of their lives.”
But, he said, directors must also remember the financial constraints of many taxpayers in the borough.
“We need to primarily focus on what is needed and consider other needs only when a good financial reason exists. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and every dollar is precious to our taxpayers,” Motor said.
Also a candidate in 2023, Thomas Feeney, 48, said the district faces several challenges, including balancing operations, school maintenance, building projects and the return of full-day kindergarten.
A Republican, Feeney also sought the vacant board seat that Purcell ultimately filled. He works as a lead carpenter for Pittsburgh Remodeling Company and holds associate degrees in architectural design and computer systems management.
Tiffany Hyde, 37, a Democratic newcomer, said Plum’s mission is to be a “top performing” district; however, she said the community is concerned with financial burdens caused by recent tax “hikes” and discussions of future rate raises.
“The community of Plum Borough must be confident the district will implement and uphold decisions that are both beneficial to the district and yet fiscally sound for the individuals that reside within the municipality,” she said.
Listed as president of O’Block Elementary PTO, Hyde said academic offerings in the district have to be “vigorous enough” to allow students a variety of options after graduation.
Hyde holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and serves as a licensing analyst for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.