6 will compete for 4 seats on Pottstown School Board

Only one candidate was eliminated in a crowded school board primary race, meaning the November election ballot will look a lot like the primary ballot.

And only two school board candidates secured both the Democratic and Republican lines on the ballot for the fall election — School Board President Amy Francis, and first-time candidate John Armato.

Among the other seven candidates seeking one of the four open seats on the board, only William Barnhill was knocked off completely, failing to win a line on either the Republican or Democratic side.

Each of the others won at least one ballot line, promising a crowded ballot again in November.

The other incumbent in the race, Thomas Hylton, won a Republican ballot line with 236 votes.

Also winning a Republican ballot line was David Miller, a former borough councilman, who won 229 votes, according to final but unofficial results.

On the Democratic side, first-time candidate Raymond Rose won 426 votes and former school board member Bonita Barnhill, William Barnhill’s wife, won 511 votes.

The top voter-getter in the election was Armato, a former employee of the district, one of the district’s most visible boosters and the director of community relations, a job he now does for no pay.

Armato won a total of 895 votes, 243 on the Republican side and 652 on the Democratic side.

Next up was Francis, who has served several terms on the board and collected a total of 753 votes, 212 on the Republican side and 541 on the Democratic side.

The 511 votes Bonita Barnhill won on the Democratic side helped put her in the third position for vote totals when combined with her 116 Republican votes, the smallest Republican total among the seven candidates.

Hylton came in fourth with a total of 559 votes, 236 on the Republican side and 323 on the Democratic side, but Rose was right behind him with just one vote less — 558, although his total came from a less balanced result.

Rose won 426 Democratic votes, but only 132 Republican votes.

Miller’s total was 480 votes, 229 from the Republican side and 251 on the Democratic side.