Candidates line up for Upper Darby School Board seat

UPPER DARBY » The Upper Darby School Board will have its pick of the bunch in candidates looking to fill a vacancy on the ninemember panel.

According to the agenda for the special meeting on July 24, there are nine candidates who will be interviewed to fill the term left by Democrat Heather Boyd through the first Monday of December 2019. Boyd resigned on July 10, citing personal and professional obligations that would not allow her to commit fully to the volunteer position she was first elected to in 2015.

The nine candidates who submitted the appropriate candidacy materials to the district by July 19 will be interviewed in the following order: Damien Warsavage; Alex Brown; Alexander T. Andrews; Melissa Harris; Donald Fields; Anna Constance Barlee; Terry Tracy; Michael Bente; and Meghan Rubino.

“I am encouraged that so many community members are interested in volunteering to support our schools and our community,” wrote school board President Rachel Mitchell in a Friday morning email.

The meeting agenda will include a period of explanation the process to fill the vacancy, followed up with an explanation of the time commitment, followed up with interviews. In years past, the board has asked the same slate of predetermined questions to each candidate looking to fill a vacancy.

The board will vote on its preferred candidate after the interview, and the selected candidate will be administered the oath of office at that time.

At present, the board shifts Democratic by a 5-3 margin. The five Democrats on the board, Mitchell, Vice President Ed Brown, Gina Curry, Neil Desnoyers and Monica Taylor, all won their election bids in November. Of the group, Mitchell was the only one running for a second term. The three Republicans, Judy Gentile, Lee Jordan and Ken Rucci are up for reelection next year. Whomever is selected to fill the vacancy may seek a four-year term by running in the 2019 municipal elections.

This special voting meeting to appoint a school director begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Upper Darby School Board Conference Room in the high school. The regularly scheduled school board committee meetings will follow the voting meeting.