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Pennridge School District, Pennsylvania, elections (2023)
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Voters elected five Democratic candidates to the nine-seat Pennridge School District school board in Pennsylvania on November 7, 2023.[1] The Pennridge School District is located in Bucks County in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia. Five candidates each advanced from the Democratic and Republican primaries on May 16, 2023. Board members are elected at large.
The five Democratic candidates—incumbent Ron Wurz, Chris Kaufman, Bradley Merkl-Gump, Leah Foster Rash, and Carolyn Sciarrino—ran as the Pennridge Community Alliance slate of candidates and campaigned against the school board's neutrality and curriculum policies.
The five Republican candidates—incumbent Jonathan Russell, Joshua Hogan, Bob Sellers, Barbara Vees, and Jim York—ran as the Protect Pennridge 2023 slate of candidates.
Incumbent board president David Reiss (R) failed to advance to the general election. Two other incumbents, Megan Banis-Clemens (R) and Joan Cullen (R) did not seek re-election.
School board elections in Pennsylvania are partisan. Heading into the election, the board had an 8-1 Republican majority. Of the five seats up for election, Republicans held four, and Democrats held one.[2] The one Democratic member of the board, Wurz, was elected as a Republican to serve out the remainder of an unexpired term in 2021 and later changed his registration to Democrat.[2]
On its website, Pennridge Community Alliance said, "Our district has been in the news for all the wrong reasons: staff shortages, lawsuits, book bans, and school board dysfunction. This has a negative impact on our students when they apply to colleges and trade schools, and it hurts our home values. We pledge to lead with civility by listening respectfully to staff, students, community members, and other board directors and to use input from all to inform our decision making." The slate also campaigned on terminating the district's consulting contract with Vermilion Education, and said of Vermilion founder Jordan Adams that, "He is unfit to be making curriculum decisions for all Pennridge students."[3] Vermilion Education is an independent education consultant the district hired in April 2022.[4] See below for more information.
According to Protect Pennridge 2023's Facebook page, their priorities were, "putting student success first and cultivating an environment of campus safety and privacy... ensuring a high-quality learning environment and valuing our dedicated educators... respecting parent choice and honoring the primary role of parents in key decision-making for their children... making fiscally responsible decisions and continuing in the Republican tradition of not raising taxes for 7 years in a row."[5]
On September 27, 2022, the board voted 7-2 to prohibit the use of district resources for "advocacy activities," which the board described as, "using power, position, or authority to advise or persuade students."[6] Both incumbents who ran for re-election in 2023, Russel and Wurz, voted against the policy. However, the Republican slate on which Russel ran, Protect Pennridge 2023, endorsed the policy. [7][5]
On April 26, 2023, the school board voted 5-4 to hire Vermilion Education as a curriculum consultant.[4] According to its website, Vermilion Education is "an independent, nonpartisan, and non-religious small business committed to helping public school board members strengthen the education offered in their district."[8] According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the school board considered, but did not vote on, "plans to terminate the jobs of its four curriculum supervisors," as part of the agreement to hire Vermilion.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Vermilion Education CEO Jordan Adams was a speaker at the Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in July 2023.[9] Both incumbents who ran for re-election, Russel and Wurz, voted against the contracting agreement.[10]
On August 28, 2023, the Pennridge School District school board voted 5-4 to adopt a new curriculum plan developed with Vermilion Education.[11][12][13] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, "One of Adams’ first acts as consultant was to help revamp the social studies curriculum, which now lists Hillsdale College’s 1776 Curriculum as a required resource for teachers to use."[14] Read more about Hillsdale College's 1776 Curriculum by clicking here. Both incumbents who ran for re-election, Russel and Wurz, voted against the curriculum plan.[15]
On August 23, 2023, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman, Jr. denied a citizens petition to change the at-large election of school board members to by-district elections.[16] A nonprofit called Pennridge Citizens for Direct Representation filed the petition, which proposed a three-region plan for the school district, in August 2022.[17] According to the Bucks County Herald, Bateman said that the 2,775 signatures that the petition received constituted a "small minority" of the district's electors.[16]
Ballotpedia provided in-depth coverage of 14 school board elections in November 2023. Click the links below to read about each of those elections. To read more election analysis across all school board elections in these states, click here.
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Candidates and results
Pennridge School District
General election
General election for Pennridge School District, At-large (5 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Pennridge School District, At-large on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Carolyn Sciarrino (D) | 10.8 | 9,742 |
| ✔ |  | Ron Wurz (D) | 10.8 | 9,708 |
| ✔ |  | Chris Kaufman (D) | 10.7 | 9,653 |
| ✔ |  | Leah Foster Rash (D) | 10.6 | 9,551 |
| ✔ |  | Bradley Merkl-Gump (D) | 10.6 | 9,504 |
 | Jonathan Russell (R) | 9.4 | 8,501 | |
 | Bob Sellers (R) | 9.3 | 8,387 | |
 | Barbara Vees (R) | 9.3 | 8,350 | |
 | Joshua Hogan (R) | 9.3 | 8,327 | |
 | Jim York (R) | 9.2 | 8,264 | |
| Total votes: 89,987 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennridge School District, At-large (5 seats)
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Pennridge School District, At-large on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Carolyn Sciarrino | 20.1 | 3,849 |
| ✔ | | Leah Foster Rash | 19.4 | 3,717 |
| ✔ | | Chris Kaufman | 19.3 | 3,694 |
| ✔ | | Bradley Merkl-Gump | 18.5 | 3,527 |
| ✔ | | Ron Wurz | 17.8 | 3,397 |
| Bob Sellers | 4.9 | 928 | |
| Total votes: 19,112 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennridge School District, At-large (5 seats)
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Pennridge School District, At-large on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim York | 33.5 | 9,402 |
| ✔ | | Joshua Hogan | 13.0 | 3,654 |
| ✔ | | Bob Sellers | 12.6 | 3,550 |
| ✔ | | Barbara Vees | 11.4 | 3,210 |
| ✔ | | Jonathan Russell | 11.2 | 3,135 |
| David A. Reiss Sr. | 5.5 | 1,557 | ||
| Ron Wurz | 4.5 | 1,250 | |
| Carolyn Sciarrino | 3.2 | 902 | |
| Chris Kaufman | 2.8 | 775 | |
| Bradley Merkl-Gump | 2.3 | 650 | |
| Total votes: 28,085 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2023
May 16, 2023
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2023
- Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2023
November 7, 2023
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Voting information
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: October 23, 2023
- By mail: Received by October 23, 2023
- Online: October 23, 2023
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?
- By mail: Received by October 31, 2023
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?
- By mail: Received by November 7, 2023
Was early voting available to all voters? Yes
When did early voting end? October 31, 2023
Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? No
When were polls open on Election Day? 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please let us know.
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Click here to access those reports.
About the district
- See also: Pennridge School District, Pennsylvania
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[18]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $4,683,000 | $689 | 3% |
| Local: | $108,167,000 | $15,914 | 73% |
| State: | $35,527,000 | $5,227 | 24% |
| Total: | $148,377,000 | $21,830 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $136,315,000 | $20,055 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $115,741,000 | $17,028 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $75,141,000 | $11,055 | 55% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $10,739,000 | $1,579 | 8% |
| Administration: | $11,790,000 | $1,734 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $18,071,000 | $2,658 | 13% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $3,802,000 | $559 | |
| Construction: | $3,119,000 | $458 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $790,000 | $116 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $1,011,000 | $148 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 6,521 | -2.1 |
| 2021-2022 | 6,661 | -2.0 |
| 2020-2021 | 6,797 | -2.5 |
| 2019-2020 | 6,970 | -1.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 7,058 | -1.4 |
| 2017-2018 | 7,158 | -1.3 |
| 2016-2017 | 7,250 | -0.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 7,290 | -0.9 |
| 2014-2015 | 7,357 | 0.3 |
| 2013-2014 | 7,333 | -0.1 |
| 2012-2013 | 7,339 | -0.5 |
| 2011-2012 | 7,374 | 0.7 |
| 2010-2011 | 7,325 | 1.1 |
| 2009-2010 | 7,248 | -0.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 7,260 | -0.4 |
| 2007-2008 | 7,292 | 0.2 |
| 2006-2007 | 7,279 | 1.2 |
| 2005-2006 | 7,192 | 0.6 |
| 2004-2005 | 7,151 | 0.9 |
| 2003-2004 | 7,085 | 2.3 |
| 2002-2003 | 6,923 | 0.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 6,924 | 1.0 |
| 2000-2001 | 6,852 | 0.7 |
| 1999-2000 | 6,803 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Pennridge School District (%) | Pennsylvania K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| Black | 2.4 | 14.5 |
| Hispanic | 9.8 | 14.3 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 4.3 | 5.1 |
| White | 80.8 | 61.4 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Pennridge School District had 464.60 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.04.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 10.00 |
| Elementary: | 183.14 |
| Secondary: | 214.66 |
| Total: | 464.60 |
Pennridge School District employed 9.00 district administrators and 25.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 9.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 18.00 |
| School Administrators: | 25.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 37.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 128.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 6.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 19.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 10.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 18.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 15.00 |
| Other Support Services: | 277.00 |
Schools
2023 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This election was a battleground race. Other 2023 battleground elections included:
- Mayoral election in Jacksonville, Florida (2023)
- Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District, Minnesota, elections (2023)
- Wisconsin State Senate District 8 special election, 2023
See also
| Pennridge School District | Pennsylvania | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Reporter, "Democrats sweep Pennridge School Board," November 8, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bucks County Herald, "Direction of Pennridge schools is on the ballot," May 3, 2023
- ↑ Pennridge Community Alliance, "Our Pledge," accessed October 23, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pennridge school board hires consultant with ties to conservative college to review curriculum," April 27, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Facebook, "Protect Pennridge 2023," accessed October 23, 2023
- ↑ Pennridge School District, "Pennridge School Board Approves Policies on Resource Materials and Staff Advocacy Activities," September 29, 2022
- ↑ YouTube, "9 27 22 PSD REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING," September 30, 2022
- ↑ Vermilion Education, "About," accessed October 18, 2023
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Consultant hired by Pennridge schools told Moms for Liberty audience that ‘the fox is in the henhouse’," July 14, 2023
- ↑ YouTube, "April 26th, 2023 - PSD School Board Meeting," April 26, 2023
- ↑ NBC 10 Philadelphia, "Bucks County school district approves controversial curriculum plan," August 29, 2023
- ↑ The Reporter, "Pennridge School Board upholds Vermilion contract over public opposition," June 22, 2023
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "https://www.inquirer.com/education/pennridge-social-studies-curriculum-approved-vermilion-jordan-adams-20230829.html," August 29, 2023
- ↑ Southern Poverty Law Center, "When Moms for Liberty 'Flips' a School Board," September 13, 2023
- ↑ YouTube, "Monday August 28th, 2023 - Pennridge School Board Monthly Meeting," August 28, 2023
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Bucks County Herald, "Judge keeps at-large school board elections in Pennridge," August 23, 2023
- ↑ The Reporter, "Judge denies petition for Pennridge school board regional voting system," August 23, 2023
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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