2 Candidates Emerge To Replace Late Bensalem Township School Director

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —Two candidates have emerged to fill the vacancy of the late school director Heather Snyder, one a former school board member and the other who is the winningest head coach in Bensalem High School history.

The school board was expected to choose among the two candidates during its reorganization meeting Monday night.

The candidates who submitted letters of interest to the school district are Sheldon Per and Stephanie Gonzalez Ferrandez.

Sheldon Per

Per said he's a 51-year township resident and has served the school district and its students since 1969. He said his three children graduated from the school district and that his wife and a child are also employed by the district.

Per also said he has eight grandchildren attending Bensalem schools.

On his resume, Per lists credentials as a five-time class advisor and service over four decades as a social studies teacher at Bensalem High School for 30 years and the former director of athletics and extracurricular activities.

He also served in various roles as a boys and girls basketball for junior varsity and varsity as either an assistant coach, volunteer or head coach. He is now serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the girls varsity team.

Per also notes on his resume that he is the winningest head coach in Bensalem High School history with 312 victories.

Per was inducted into the Bensalem High School Hall of Fame in May 2009 and the Bucks County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Stephanie Gonzalez Ferrandez

Ferrandez is a former school board member who served from 2017 to 2021. She said, while losing the 2021 election, Ferrandez finished with 6,600 votes, the highest among those candidates who weren't elected.

Ferrandez states that as a Democrat, she would be replacing the only Democrat on the board in Snyder.

An as attorney, Ferrandez said she brings experience in negotiating contracts, bringing groups together and participating in budgets and grant writing and for non-profit organizations.

The 20-year township resident said she has two children attending Bensalem Township High School.

She is a member of the Bucks County New American Commission, BADGE and Christian Life Church.

"You know that I was never an easy-going member, but always approached the job with good intentions, intelligence and due diligence," she said in her application letter. "I remain familiar with the issues facing the board and could hit the ground running."

The school district is appointing a successor to Snyder, a longtime township educator, at its reorganization meeting at 7 p.m., Dec. 5, at the Dorothy D. Call Administrative Center, 3000 Donallen Dr.

Snyder passed away in mid-October. The former township councilwoman had served on the school board since 2019.