The May 20 primary ballot will feature some familiar faces vying for four open seats on the Leechburg Area School Board.
Incumbents Darius Lovelace, 73; Candi Stewart, 68; Ashley Coudriet, 45; and Jimmy Feudale, 65, are seeking to keep their seats. They are being challenged by Neill Brady, 76, and Danielle Reinke, 44, who are looking to return to office after previous stints; and newcomer Janie Borsh-Symons, 65.
Feudale was recently appointed to the board to fill a vacancy after the death of James Dunmire.
All of the candidates are cross-filed.
The popular topic among candidates is West Leechburg’s property taxes, with almost all of them mentioning a goal of accomplishing equal taxation.
As Leechburg Area is a school district that crosses county lines, administrators are required to use a formula provided by the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) that tries to equalize the tax burden for all property owners each budget season.
But rather than producing an equal tax bill among Gilpin, Leechburg and West Leechburg residents, Westmoreland County residents have been hit with consistent increases in their property tax.
“This is an issue that will go on for years if the law doesn’t change,” Reinke said.
If elected, Reinke hopes to advocate for a legislature change to address the taxation complaints from West Leechburg residents. In the short term, she wants to encourage collaboration and communication between community and school board members.
Reinke previously served on the board from 2010 to 2014 and had to step down after starting a new job that didn’t allow her to hold public office. She is currently founder of Danielle Reinke Insurance and Financial Services in Natrona Heights, Harrison.
“(The district) has always been very near and dear to me,” Reinke said. “I always follow closely with what was going on with the board. … Now that I’m settled into my business, I can run again and bring some new knowledge to the table with me.”
A lifelong Leechburg resident, Reinke graduated from Leechburg Area High School in 1999 and later earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Feudale, of West Leechburg, said the taxation complaints led him to submit for his current appointed seat and now run for the board. He said after speaking publicly at meetings and on social media about the need for tax relief, his neighbors encouraged him to run.
Feudale said the three most important entities of the district are the students, the people who work at the school and the community.
“We have to serve the community, the taxpayers. We have to inform the community of what’s going on with the school district — the good and bad,” Feudale said.
He emphasized the importance of finding a way to best serve the students, including collaborating with teachers to find out what’s needed in classrooms. Feudale taught in the Kiski Area School District for 28 years before retiring. He has two degrees, a bachelor’s in fine art and a bachelor’s in education from Slippery Rock University.
Borsh-Symons has lived in West Leechburg for 28 years. She decided to run after she and her neighbors noticed the taxation inequality between Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. She wants to help find some relief for West Leechburg residents.
“We are a dual-county school district,” Borsh-Symons said. “West Leechburg needs some representation.”
Borsh-Symons attended Franco Beauty Academy in New Kensington and owns Borsch Hair Design in West Leechburg.
She has served as president of the Leechburg Rotary Club for the past five years and volunteers for various local organizations, such as Shelter Box and Semper Gratus. Borsh-Symons was also the recipient of the Rotary’s Presidential Service Award in 2021 and 2022.
“Giving back is not something I do. It’s who I am,” she said. “As taxpayers, we need to know exactly where every dollar is spent. I support fact-based decision-making. If I am elected, we can continue the progress that has been made and build a brighter future. I am ready to work hard listen and continue moving the district in the right direction.”
Courdriet, of Gilpin, has been on the school board since 2021 and is currently its president. She called herself “instrumental” in analyzing the STEB taxation issue. She took an active role in trying to find a solution and has traveled to speak with leaders in Armstrong County, Westmoreland County and Harrisburg.
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“If reelected, I will continue to work with our administration to advocate for changes by appealing to (the Pennsylvania Department of Education), our legislators and the STEB Board,” Coudriet said. “I will work with our administration to seek out innovative sources of revenue beyond our local tax base.”
Coudriet has a doctorate in education, a master’s in educational leadership and a bachelor’s in art education. She is a local business owner and a retired school administrator and teacher.
“When elected in 2021, and throughout my time on the board, I have taken the time to speak with members of our community to understand their concerns,” Coudriet said. “If reelected, I will continue advocating for fiscal responsibility and positive change, while also working to maintain stability for our students and educators.”
Brady, of Leechburg, said that as work is being done, communication is key.
“We need open communication and bipartisanship among the board staff,” Brady said.
He said having board members, taxpayers, administration, staff and students on the same page is the best way to get people to work together. Brady served on the board from 2003 to 2023.
He earned a master’s degree in business and a bachelor’s degree business management from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He worked as an account manager for AT&T until he retired.
Brady has been teaching higher education for 40 years, currently teaching microeconomics at Butler County Community College, and previously at Penn State New Kensington, PennWest Clarion and Point Park University.
Lovelace, of Leechburg, is seeking reelection to his third term. He said uniform taxation is something to continue to prioritize.
“We have to work together and work with our legislators in order to fix the problem,” he said.
Besides taxation concerns, Lovelace wants to continue parent, student and teacher involvement in the district, continue introducing more student program options and advocate for the state to look at online charter school funding.
Lovelace grew up in Gilpin and now lives in Leechburg. He graduated from Leechburg Area High School in 1970 and earned a degree in elementary education from Penn State University. He taught elementary education for 40 years before retiring.
Stewart, of Leechburg, is also seeking reelection for a third term. She said the biggest challenge the district is facing is finding a balance between “appeasing the taxpayers’ concerns while keeping quality education opportunities for students.”
She plans to continue her support in the search for relief for taxpayers.
Leechburg has been Stewart’s lifelong district with generations of her family passing through the schools. She graduated from Leechburg Area in 1974 and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Clarion (now PennWest Clarion) before returning and teaching at the district for more than 35 years. Stewart’s children and grandchildren have graduated from the district as well.
“I’m a Leechburger from the beginning,” Stewart said. “I understand the workings of the district, and I feel I can still make a difference. I still enjoy the work.”
Stewart believes the district is headed in the right direction, saying the new administrative team has “given everyone a fresh look at the different opportunities for the district.”
She said Leechburg Area has introduced new curriculum and programs for students, as well as cracked down on disciplinary policies that focus on positive reinforcement and recognizing student achievements.
“I want to see how things continue,” Stewart said.