2019 Election Preview: 12 Candidates For North Penn School Board

LANSDALE, PA — Election Day 2019 is coming up fast, and voters in the greater Lansdale area will have a few choices to make come Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The election will determine six new seats on the North Penn School Board, with ten candidates running for five available four-year terms, and two candidates running for a single open two-year term.

The school board has nine seats overall. The May primary saw one incumbent, Jenna Ott, ousted. The election will result in two rookie board members no matter the outcome, as only three incumbents, all Democrats, are running.

Democrat Cathy Wesley led all primary vote-getters with 4,388 votes.

>>North Penn To Host Town Hall Debate For School Board Candidates

While candidates differ widely in experience, background, and age, and Democrats and Republicans differ predictably on ideological issues, one of the key distinctions that keeps arising is the differences in fiscal philosophy between candidates.

The North Penn Views Team on the right is concerned over reckless spending, debt, and taxes, while the left's North Penn Neighbors For Progress points to the importance of growth, citing property tax rebates for local seniors on fixed income as one way they'll move forward responsibly.

Here's a run down of who is on the ballot, and some key things to know:

Republicans (four-year term), North Penn Views Team

• David K. Kresge

Kresge earned 3,330 votes in the primary, leading all Republicans. An information systems manager and US Navy veteran, he's a lifelong resident of the North Penn area.

Here's what his bio over at the North Penn Views Republican page says: "I seek to provide an outstanding, meaningful education for our children while limiting unnecessary expenditures and recognizing the limits of our taxpayers."

• Michelle Rupp

Rupp followed Kresge with 3,086 primary votes. A veterinarian and business manager, she mounted an at-large school board candidacy bid in 2017, ultimately losing to Democrat Jenna Ott in the general election by around 2,000 votes.

Rupp's stated focus is on transparency, financial management, inclusion and diversity, and involving the community in school decisions.

She describes herself as a "solution oriented, focused and common sense individual. Why reinvent the wheel? Let’s see what other districts have done and learn from their mistakes. I’m not swayed by special interest groups. I’m not afraid to ask tough questions and I don’t shy away from difficult situations."

• Daniel G. Bell

Bell was the third primary Republican with 3,062 votes. He's an education leader, certified as both a principal and teacher.

"Our job is to ensure excellence and sustainability for our community," Bell said in his North Penn Views bio. "We are responsible for the education of our students today, and for our children for generations to come."

• Karen A. Calvanese

Calvanese had 2,929 votes in the primary. She's worked for two decades in the clinical and administrative fields, and currently works on an administrative support team at Tri-Valley Physicians in Lansdale.

She's been a staunch advocate for lower taxes, citing "unaccountable debt" in the district, specifically criticizing spending behavior of the school board in recent years and the inclination to take on new projects while leaving existing, basic issues unaddressed.

"Throughout my life, I have strived to instill a strong sense of compassion in those around me," she wrote in a letter leading up to the 2019 primary. "I have an immense belief that I would be able to make a difference in our youth for the better."

• Jennifer Breen

Breen earned 2,822 primary votes. A project management consultant and longtime resident of the Lansdale area, she is also focused on fiscal responsibility.

"Being a school director is an active of service that I wish to provide to the North Penn community, one in which I was raised and am now raising my family," Breen wrote in her North Penn Views bio.

Democrats (four-year term), North Penn Neighbors for Progress Team

• Cathy Wesley

Newcomer Wesley led all candidates with 4,388 primary votes. She's a business manager with experience planning large facilities and engineering projects, as well as managing a diverse array of contracts and vendors, skills which supporters are confident would translate well to executing the district's ambitious 10-year Facilities Plan.

"Public education promotes continued improvements to society and provides a conduit for students to not only learn, but share and explore different cultures, diversity, and acceptance," Wesley writes in her North Penn Neighbors for Progress biography.

• Wanda Lewis-Campbell

Following Wesley is another newcomer, Lewis-Campbell, who earned the second most primary votes of all candidates with 4,315.

An assistant professor at Temple'S College of Education and the former assistant dean for student life at Temple Ambler, Lewis-Campbell has extensive experience in education management.

• Juliane Ramic

Incumbent Juliane Ramic earned 4,241 votes in the primary, coming in third overall. A social worker with 20 years of experience in issues as diverse as refugee resettlement, training, providing services to vulnerable populations, Ramic has since worked for numerous Pennsylvania state agencies.

A supporter of the full day kindergarten plan implemented in the district this year, she sworn in as a board member in Jan. 2018.

• Elisha Gee

Another incumbent, Gee earned 4,007 votes in the primary. Gee has a long career under her belt as a public educator. She cites equal opportunity, safety, and advocacy for public education as some of her key issues.

"I believe that a strong public educational system builds strong communities," she wrote in a profile published by Democratic Women of North Penn. "For every North Penn Student that graduates and pursuing a path to become an involved citizen, we have added value to our community. A strong public education system is good for all citizens in the community, those who have children and those who do not. The promise of an education that will allow students to grow, achieve, and succeed is the best that our school and larger community can offer."

• Timothy MacBain

Incumbent MacBain, sworn in during the summer of 2018 to fill a vacancy on the board, earned 3,788 primary votes.

MacBain cites his work in implementing full day kindergarten in the district, improved technology, and moving forward plans on school renovations as some his key achievements as a board member.

"I know what the power of a quality education can do for our community, our families, and especially for our students," he writes. 'The job is not nearly finished."

Republican, North Penn Views (two-year term)

• Ned Smith

Smith is a human resources professional and former staffer for longtime Republican State Rep. Robert Godshall. He touts careful spending as a key issue moving forward for the district.

"It is the job of the school director to assure top quality education for our children within the funding limitations of our taxpayers," Smith said in his North Penn Views bio. "It's not how much we spend, but how we spend it."

Democrat, North Penn Neighbors for Progress (two-year term)

• Al Roesch

Roesch ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and also cross-filed for this seat in the Republican primary, but lost.

He's an Air Force veteran with experience in information system design and project management. "Public education must serve the academic, social, safety, and emotional needs of our children," he says in his North Penn Neighbors for Progress bio. "We can will do this in a fiscally responsible manner."

If you're unsure of your polling place, you can find it here.