Gretchen Brandt is seeking reelection to the State College Area School Board this year, she announced on Monday.
First elected in 2015, Brandt will be running for a third term.
“I am excited to continue serving the school community,” Brandt said in a statement. “I will work for trust and transparency, high academic achievement, equity, diversity, and belonging and fiscal responsibility.”
A resident of State College since 1999, Brandt has two children in the district — one in middle school and one in high school. She holds a master’s degree in public administration and her work in politics led to her being the lead plaintiff from Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District in a case that helped change how the commonwealth’s voting districts are drawn.
Currently vice president of the board, Brandt co-authored the district’s Inclusive Excellence Policy. She has been an outspoken supporter of engagement, safety and support for the whole student, and has advocated for efforts to eliminate disproportionalities.
“Our schools should provide a safe and welcoming environment where all students, teachers and staff have a sense of belonging” Brandt said.
An advocate for children’s health and the environment, Brandt contributed to the design and construction of several district building projects that achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold or Platinum certification. In a third term, she said she “will continue to champion the adoption of inclusive design, renewable energy, prioritize the sustainable design and construction of Park Forest Middle School, sustainability and security in the district’s Facilities Master Plan, and the district’s transition to electric school buses.”
Brandt has chaired the Policy Committee and the Centre Region’s intergovernmental Solar Power Purchase Agreement Working Group, and is a co-chair of the SCASD’s Facilities and Grounds Committee.
She also has served as the district’s liaison to the Centre Region Council of Governments, where she is a member of the Parks Authority Committee, the Public Safety Committee, the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee, the Land Use and Community Infrastructure Committee and the Governance Committee.
Five State College Area School Board seats are up for election this year. Brandt is the second incumbent to announce a reelection campaign, joining Amy Bader. Two seats are currently held by Daniel Duffy and Laurel Zydney, who have not indicated if they will seek reelection, and one is held by Jim Leous, who said he will not seek election after being appointed last week to fill a vacancy.
Challengers Dan Kolbe and Aaron Miller also have announced their intentions to run for school board.
Primary Election Day is May 16. The first day to circulate and file nomination petitions is Tuesday.
The general election is Nov. 7.
