Council Rock Elects New Board Leadership For 2025

NEWTOWN, PA — The Council Rock School Board will begin 2025 with new leaders at the helm.

During its reorganization meeting, the board voted 7 to 2 to hand the leadership gavel to eight-year board member Ed Tate of Newtown Township.

Yota Palli, who served as board president in 2024, nominated Tate for the position while board member Michael Roosevelt nominated Tracey Osecki, a nomination Osecki declined.”

“I genuinely believe that despite our obvious differences everyone around this dais is truly committed to doing what’s best for Council Rock, its students, teachers, our administrators, and our staff," said Tate. "We can have our differences, but I think everybody has the right motives and that’s terrific.”

He continued, “This is an honor and a challenge. And I feel well-prepared to serve as president after nine years on the board. I want to give a huge shout-out to (outgoing president) Yota Palli who worked extremely hard. We've gotten a lot done so far - full-day kindergarten, the development of a facilities master plan is underway, and we’re making progress on the high school schedule just to name a few accomplishments. I think we’ve been quite effective.”

Tate, 67, works as the Chief Communications Officer at the Hepatitis B Foundation, Blumberg Institute and Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC). He has served on the board since Dec. 2015 and was president of in 2016-17.

While Tate’s election went smoothly with both Republicans and Democrats supporting his appointment, the election of a vice president was anything but as the four minority Republican members - Bob Hickey, Michael Roosevelt, Joseph Hidalgo and Anne Horner - unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the Democrats to elect Hidalgo to the position.

Hidalgo, in an email to the board, suggested that he and Tate, the longest-serving board members, be considered for the two leadership positions to bring unity to the board.

“We could work together and I could report to the four Republicans and he could report to the five Democrats,” said Hidalgo. “This way we split it up. I’m going to support Mr. Tate for president. He’s been here long enough and I’m putting out the olive branch for me.”

Hickey agreed with the idea of splitting the leadership between the majority and minority noting that Mr. Tate had served on board leadership when he was in the minority. So the precedent has been set… I do not believe that continuing with the same (leadership) is good for the district.”

He continued, “I am in full support of a Tate-Hidalgo team. They check all the boxes - majority, minority, north and south. They are the two most senior members of our group. A 9-0 vote would go a long way in showing our community that we can work together."

Democrat Linda Stone rejected Hidalgo’s nomination, saying “I’ve been very disturbed by Mr. Hidalgo’s behavior. He has been uncooperative and accusatory … I don’t see how that kind of behavior is a quality in leadership. That’s not what leadership looks like … There is no way I
can support Mr. Hidalgo.”

The Democratic majority chose to nominate Yota Palli for the position. The five Democrats voted for Palli while the Republicans split their votes between Hidalgo and Hickey.

“I have been pleased with the amount of work we have gotten done and the momentum that we have,” said Osecki. “It’s been wonderful for the students of this district and that is what it’s all about. My support is to continue that momentum. To keep that momentum going for the
students of this district I will be supporting Yota. I’ve been impressed with her ability to lead and maintain her composure through difficult situations. She has devoted herself to the students of this district. I'm thrilled to be working with her again.”