5 seek 4 open seats on Phoenixville School Board
There is only one incumbent in the race
The race for Phoenixville Area School Board features four open at-large seats and five candidates seeking them. There is only one incumbent.
Three candidates, Caitlyn Carminito, Scott Overland and incumbent Susan Turner, won both the Republican and Democratic ballot lines in the spring primary and will appear on both lines.
Victoria Walker will occupy the fourth Democratic slot on the ballot and Emily Shanley the fourth Republican line.
Only Overland and Carminito provided responses to The Mercury’s online candidate questionnaire.
Scott Overland
Overland, 37, lives on Iron Works Road in Phoenixville.
He works in media relations and holds a bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College and a law degree from American University.
Although he has never held elected public office, he worked on the communications staff of the U.S. Senate from 2006 to 2010 and of U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.
In his response, Overland wrote “education is the one asset that, once attained, can never be taken away from you. I believe that we owe every student access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for lifelong success. I am running to ensure we make this goal a reality for all of our students no matter who they are, where they are from, or what they hope to achieve.”
Given one guaranteed accomplishment in officer, Overland chose “I would want to create an environment where transparency and dialogue with the community are priorities, where communications from the board are clear and consistent, and where community members feel confident the board is putting politics aside and making decisions in the best interest of students.”
Caitlyn Carminito
Carminito, 35, lives in Phoenixville and works as a teacher.
She holds a master’s degree in education and has never held elected public office.
In her response, Carminito wrote “I have made the decision to run for school board because I believe in public education as an integral part of our community. As a public school teacher, I see the importance in having a strong school board that is student-focused. I would bring my own firsthand knowledge and passion for schools to my local community. I want to support the continued growth in our schools by providing the best environments for our students to learn and thrive. I want to be a part of making our PASD schools a place where people want to be.”
Given one guaranteed accomplishment in office, Carminito chose “to see each and every child succeed. Each individual student of the Phoenixville Area School District would be supported in their own individual needs and unique talents. As a school board, we can plan for the successes of all learners, set policies that support progress, oversee a budget that provides resources for all students, and ongoing analysis of the district plan.”