The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Board in the balance
Seven candidates competing for four school board seats stress diversity, student achievement
Board of School Directors. The Democratic primary winners, Shae Ashe, Jamila Winder, incumbent Matt Rivera and current board President Turea Hutson, are running as a slate and will face Republican primary finalists Kathleen Bello, John C. Holland and John Maxey, who ran as a Democrat but won enough votes through cross-filing to appear on the ballot for the general election. Ken Christovich, who was the top vote getter in the Republican primary, opted to run instead for East Norristown Township supervisor.
Shae Ashe
Shae Ashe is a graduate of Norristown Area High School and the son of a former Norristown Area School Board member. He studied finance at Norfolk State University, where he earned a B.S. in 2014. While studying finance, he developed a passion for budget reform in public schools, he
said. Ashe worked extensively with the The Walt Disney Co. after beginning there as an intern. In 2013, while still in college and working for Disney, Ashe founded The Norristown Project, a grass-roots organization dedicated to uplifting the community. The organization started as a block-byblock cleanup project and has since grown to large community service projects every quarter. Today, Ashe’s group has expanded to support outreach in the community and beyond. Its website features Norristown-based initiatives, events, and development projects.
Taking this same approach for the NASD is his primary focus. Ashe is committed to hearing the needs of East Norriton, Norristown, and West Norriton constituents on ways to continue to move the school district forward and believes the success of the school district begins with a strong community and economy.
Kathleen Bello
Kathleen Bello is a former coordinator of special projects at Central Montco Technical High School who has cited false perceptions and poor attitudes as the major issues facing the Norristown Area School District. Her focus, if elected, will be on burnishing the district’s reputation and improving districtwide health care and nutrition programs in an effort to facilitate students’ ability to learn.
Bello says she has a positive outlook on Norristown Area schools and views the district’s diversity as its greatest asset.
Her background is in nursing, and she also has experience in the classroom as an educator. Bello stresses the importance of celebrating student diversity and improving students’ mental and physical health. She highlighted her experience in grant procurement and other aspects of her career as a longtime educator and administrator. Bello said she believes that NASD “has all of the pieces necessary to become an outstanding school district” and is looking forward to helping the district achieve its full potential.
Current school board president Turea Hutson first ran for school board four years ago and says