Election 2023: Tony Sadowski for Centennial School Board

Candidates running in the May 16 primary election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

WARMINSTER, PA —School board member Tony Sadowski is running for re-election in the May 16 primary election for one of two, four-year terms in Region 2 for the Centennial School Board.

Sadowski is vying for the school board along with School Board Vice President Patti Crossan, and challengers Don McGeary Jr., and Arno Carl F. Vorwerk. Democrats Crossan and Sadowski have cross-filed to be on both party tickets.

Biographical Information

Name: Tony Sadowski

Age: 42

Town of residence: Warminster

Position sought: Centennial School Director, Region II

Are you an incumbent? Yes

What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Warminster, Ivyland, and Upper Southampton

Party Affiliation: Democratic

Family: Married to a girl I met on our first day of college, proud dad of a son and daughter who are current Centennial students.

Education: M.S. Digital Innovation in Marketing, Fox School of Business at Temple University; B.A. Communications, Elizabethtown College

Occupation: Vice President of Creative at Slice Communications, owner of Spec Communications, LLC

1. What are the top issues currently facing your position and how do you plan to address them?

The top two issues are continuing to improve student performance and the quality of our education (toward which we are already making great strides) and school safety. Simply put, we want our students set up to succeed in today's AND tomorrow's world, and for students and parents to feel safe and secure in our district.

We are successfully addressing pandemic learning loss and students are thriving with a better curriculum and the support specialists they need to achieve. Through improved SEAL programs, we are working to address behavioral and mental health challenges and to create a more mindful, respectful school community.

Frankly, fiscal responsibility is also a major issue for everyone in our community - myself included, as a taxpayer! We want to continue the recent trend of minimal tax burden while still meeting the needs of our students and investing in our facilities and programs. Centennial is on a roll and we need to keep that momentum going, not fall back on old habits and stale ideas. Keep Centennial strong!

2. Identify specific goals or ideas you have to enhance life in your position:

I originally ran to be part of a better school board atmosphere, where we communicate respectfully and work together regardless of party affiliation and focus on what actually matters - our students! I can tell you that kids and teachers are first on my list. We can't let our school board devolve in the hands of people who have no concept of what is actually happening in our district and want to scare you into thinking there's some mysterious political agenda at work.

Centennial is a common-sense, student-focused district run by an excellent administrative team, and featuring the best teachers you will find anywhere. Our students impress us and make us proud every day. It's a place I'm excited to send my kids and I think it's on us to better communicate all our successes, rather than let the doom-and-gloom crowd dominate the conversation.

We have challenges to meet and problems to fix, to be sure. That will not happen in the wrong hands, and I hope you will put party aside and support candidates like myself who have a real stake in our students' education and who are in this because we're truly passionate about the continued success of CSD...not out-of-touch political plants filling a ballot slot because they're bored of sitting around watching Price is Right every day.

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

You know what matters? Authenticity. You will always know where I stand and that my votes are coming from a place of conviction and focus on the well-being and success of our students. I have a communications and media background (including many years at WHYY PBS/NPR in Philadelphia), and am a small business owner and lifelong community/school volunteer. I spent many years as a dedicated member of our Home & School/PTO groups, often as the only dad in the room. Service is a family value instilled in me early by my very-involved great-grandparents, and it's important to me to continue to make a positive impact and bring people together today.

With two years of school board experience under my belt, involvement as Operations Committee Chair, Policy Committee member, and liaison to PSBA, Centennial Education Foundation, Klinger, and McDonald, and a continued commitment to volunteering at school events and community organizations like the Warminster Free Library Advisory Board and Craven Hall Board of Directors, I believe I am fully in my stride and ready to continue to serve our community well.

During my time on the School Board, our "Team of 10" has worked together better, made progress on so many levels, and brought down the ugly and embarrassing temperature of 2020-21 to a place where we're able to focus on a cohesive K-12 educational experience built to send our students into the world ready to pursue their goals and contribute to our society as informed, decent, open-minded young adults.