Friday, September 21, 2012
The organization that helped launched the massive school board write-in campaign last year sent out a questionnaire to the candidates running for state office this fall.
Last fall, West Chester VOTE mounted a massive write-in campaign for several school board candidates who were not on the ballot. The organization's candidates garnered thousands of votes a won one seat on the current school board. At the time, the organization made up primarily of district parents who were concerned about the direction the school district was going made a vow that they weren't done. They promised to be a force in any election that involved the school district. West Chester VOTE sent out a questionnaire to the candidates running for state office this November. According to the organizatios website: This summer, West Chester VOTE sent candidate questionnaires to all WCASD House of Representative and Senate candidates running…
Monday, April 16, 2012
The district faces a tough financial future.
- OPINION
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Monday, April 16, 2012
WCASD and its governing board are at a crossroad. The path taken from here will significantly impact what our schools, and perhaps even our town, look like in the coming years. The proposed 2012-13 budget was presented at the March Board Meeting by Sean Carpenter, Chair of the Property & Finance Committee. Many were surprised that it included a 1.7% tax increase. This tax increase is what is permissible under Act 1, and it allows the district to minimize its fund balance usage to $1.4M. While the goal should always be to balance the budget without use of the fund balance, this amount is significantly less than the $2.9M needed for the 2011-12 year, as well as the $3.8M that will be needed without the increase. Those who have followed…
Friday, December 2, 2011
Chester County finishes counting the write-in votes.
Chester County Voter Services certified the election results Wednesday ending a contentious race for six available West Chester School Board seats. Five of the six endorsed Republican candidates earned enough votes to make their way onto the school board along with write-in candidate Sue Tiernan. The write-in candidates running for West Chester VOTE managed to secure over 40,000 votes collectively, but they were only able to secure one seat. According to the county the final official vote count was as follows: KAREN MILLER (REP/DEM) 9206 VINCENT MURPHY (REP) 7945 MAUREEN SNOOK (REP/DEM) 8858 LINDA RAILEANU (REP/DEM) 8505 GALEN PLONA (REP) 7497 WAYNE BURTON (DEM) 3568 TED M DIEHL (DEM) 3253 WRITE-IN SUE TIERNAN 7690 GARY BEVILACQUA 7550 …
Monday, November 28, 2011
The unofficial tally has write-in candidate Sue Tiernan on the West Chester School Board along with Miller, Murphy, Snook and Raileanu.
According to unofficial numbers yet to be certified by the county, Sue Tiernan of the West Chester VOTE write-in campaign obtained enough votes to secure a seat on the West Chester Area School Board. Along with Tiernan, Linda Raileanu, Maureen Snook, Vincent Murphy and Karen Miller will take seats on the board beginning in January. Candidate Ed Coyle will also serve on the board for a two year term. Failing to make the cut for the wirte-in candidates was Rick Swalm, Gary Bevilacqua, Antonia Keg and Spencer Virta. Republican candidate Galen Plona did not recieve enough votes as well. The unofficial vote counts are as follows:
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Voter Services says the ballots will be counted starting Nov. 21 at the earliest.
The Chester County Department of Voter Services confirmed on Tuesday that the write-in votes for the West Chester School Board race would start being counted on Monday, November 21. “The earliest we would start is on Monday morning,” said Assistant Director of Voter Services Agnes O’Toole. “There are still some other things we need to do first before we get to them.” Write-in votes are counted alphabetically by race in Chester County so any West Chester race would be lower on the list. O’Toole also said that two of the three tally sheets that had been reported missing had been found, and that the last one was expected to be found either later today or tomorrow. “Those people working at the polls have a list of what documentation goes into…
Friday, November 11, 2011
According to candidates from the write-in campaign, the organization isn't going anywhere.
When the polls closed on Tuesday night the election may have ended for the write-in candidates of West Chester VOTE, but the campaign did not. “This is just a starting point,” said write-in candidate Spencer Virta. “We’re helping to shape the direction of public education in this district. The election wasn’t our only goal.” Many would consider a campaign organized in two months with no political backing a victory in itself. Add that the campaign amassed over 40,000 handwritten votes, and you might be pushing miracle. But if you talk to the members of West Chester VOTE, they won’t use those words. No victory, no triumph, no miracle. “I’m not a moral victory person,” said write-in candidate and current West Chester Area School Board …
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Eight of the 14 candidates for school board met with residents Wednesday.
The West Chester School District PTOC hosted a “Meet the Candidates Night” at East High School on Wednesday where eight of the 14 candidates for school board discussed their plans for the future of the district. Notably absent were the endorsed Republican candidates who released a statement last month saying they would not participate in debates that included candidates not on the ballot. “I take great offense when they say we’re not worthy of their time,” said write-in candidate and current school board president Dr. Rick Swalm. Write-in candidate Spencer Virta added, “We haven’t received any donations from a political party, committee or union. We are completely supported by the parents of this district.” Independent Ted Diehl and …
Monday, October 17, 2011
Current school board member Jim Davison says misinformation needs to stop.
- SCHOOLS
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Monday, October 17, 2011
The word is out that the Republican Nominees for West Chester Area School Director will not attend any meet the candidates nights that are attended by the organized group of write-in candidates. One of those events was being sponsored by the Daily Local News & WCHE 1520 on November 1. One of their excuses is that their time is limited. That's not a valid excuse when you’re running for office, especially an office as time consuming as school director. Another excuse is that they will not participate in any debates including candidates not on the ballot. That's baloney as well; they don't want a debate, they want a bully pulpit where only their collective point of view is heard. Another smoke screen they're using is insinuating the other …
Friday, October 14, 2011
In a statement, the six endorsed candidates say they will not debate anyone not on the ballot.
The endorsed Republican candidates for West Chester School Board released a statement saying that they would not participate in debates that include candidates that are not currently on the ballot. Signed by all six endorsed candidates the statement says, “We began the electoral process in January by interviewing with the Republican Committee members to gain their endorsement. We went through the Primary Election, in which the Republican and Democrat voters chose their nominees.” Recently, a group of candidates has begun a write-in campaign for the school board under the moniker West Chester VOTE (Voters Open to Education). According to that group, the current endorsed candidates represent a “partisan” and “anti-public school” agenda. In …
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The write-in campaign for West Chester school board kicked off.
West Chester VOTE held a meet the candidates night in Westtown Wednesday as the group tries to mount a write-in campaign for the West Chester school board election in November. West Chester VOTE, which stands for West Chester Voters Open To Education, formed after the school board’s decision in June to not raise property taxes. The group of parents that created West Chester VOTE wanted a group of candidates that represented their concerns better than the candidates currently endorsed by the Chester County Republican Committee. “I went to the committee meeting to become an endorsed candidate,” said current school board president Dr. Rick Swalm. “I came in seventh out of seven at that meeting. I think I would’ve been eighth out of seven …
Star Thrower
7:02 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The only thing YOU are likely to see from ME edufan is some help getting you to understand, and admit to your TIDS affliction - if and when THAT happens, you will then be able understand what I write - if you would care to refute what I have written about the 3FP obsession you continually attempt to insert as your defense that you belong somewhere other than a mental facility, then please be my … more ›