Council Rock School Board Primary Election: Ed Salamon, Region 5

Candidates running in contested races in the May 16 primary election have been invited to provide background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Incumbent Ed Salamon is running on both the Republican and Democratic ballots as a cross-filed candidate. He is seeking nomination for an open four-year-seat on the Council Rock School Board in Region 5. He is facing Linda Stone, who is running on the Democratic ballot.

Biographical Information

Name: Ed Salamon

Age: 52

Town of residence: Holland

Position sought: Council Rock School Board director

Are you an incumbent? Yes

What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Northampton Township; Holland, Upper Holland.

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Married, 3 girls and a Golden Doodle, Lucy

Education: Associate's Degree - Criminal Justice

Occupation: Retired Philadelphia police officer, currently working in public education

Questions

1. Why are you running?

The students; the students make it an easy decision for me. As an incumbent, I still have plenty of work left to do and my focus remains on the students and their educational experience at Council Rock. I currently have two kids in the district so I'm committed to the district now and for many years in the future. The pandemic really affected everyone and for me, public education needs to take a deep look at how they do business. It's a different world, the world has shifted, things have changed and our kids have to be the focus of this change. The next great generation needs us.

2. What are your top issues and how do you plan to address them?

The students have to be the main focus at all times. What’s best for the kids has always been my number one issue. With that being said, the budget fuels everything for the students. I truly believe our budget is the foundation that makes everything else work. Good, quality, conservative budgets with attention to detail is a must. The budget has to be right in order to make the decision that affects 10,000 students, failure on this end could be catastrophic. Digging down, reviewing expenditures and finding new revenue streams has to be a priority. In addition, it’s time for a full curriculum review and conduct an in depth analysis on how we can find some efficiencies within the budget without affecting the quality of education. It is going to be a tough but needed balance. Taxes are a key revenue stream but we have to be careful at taxing near the Act 1 index, this would directly affect the largest percentage of our taxpayers, those taxpayers without kids in our schools.

3. What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office?

Clearly experience is the key. Serving in this role for the last five years and especially during the pandemic years, this has positioned me well to continue but never forgetting it has to be about the kids. My ability to have the tough discussions with my colleagues and the administrative team while balancing and staying focused on budgetary responsibilities has positioned me well in a leadership role the last three years. Working daily in a public school, I truly have an interesting perspective, that in itself has made me a better school director.