Four Democratic candidates appear to have won the State College Area School Board election, while the ‘Win 4 Bellefonte’ ticket swept to victory in Bellefonte Area School District.
With all precincts at least partially reporting on Tuesday night, Deborah Anderson and Peter Buck — who had both Democratic and Republican nominations — and Democratic candidates Carline Crevecoeur and Jackie Huff were the top vote-getters for the four seats on the State College Area Board of School Directors.
They outpaced Republican Michelle Glenn Young and incumbent David Hutchinson, who won a Republican nomination as a cross-filed candidate in the primary.
Young wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday that she was disappointed by the outcome but grateful for the opportunity and support she received.
Buck and Crevecoeur both declared victory.
“I’m so excited to serve with such hardworking & thoughtful people,” Buck wrote in a Facebook post. “Thank you for voting for us.”
“I could not have won this election without the support of my family, friends, colleagues, and the wonderful people of State College,” Crevecoeur wrote in a post. “I thank you for the trust you have bestowed upon me, and will not let you down. Now let’s get to work.”
Crevecoeur will be the first Black member of the State College Area School Board. All four candidates will be first-time school board members.
They will replace Lori Bedell, Jim Leous and Scott Fozard, each of whom did not seek reelection, and Hutchinson.
In Bellefonte, meanwhile, the Win 4 Bellefonte ticket’s four candidates — cross-filed candidates Andrea Royer and incumbent Jeffrey Steiner and Republicans Jack Bechdel II and incumbent Jon Guizar — held at least double the vote totals of Democratic candidates Rodney Musser, an incumbent, and Jordan Emely.
The bipartisan Win 4 Bellefonte ticket coalesced last year when the school board “fractured the community by forcing through an unnecessary name change at a time when the district so desperately needed steady and judicious leadership,” according to a statement on the Win 4 Bellefonte Facebook page on Wednesday.
The board voted 8-1 in April to retire the Native American imagery associated with the district’s Red Raiders nickname, with Steiner voting against. Two weeks later the board voted 6-3 to drop “Red” from the Raider nickname, with Steiner, Guizar and Kimberly Weaver voting against.
Win 4 Bellefonte’s platform included addressing elementary school building needs, addressing learning gaps exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring availability of technology for all students, enhancing special needs and gifted student programs and “ensuring the education of the whole student, including fine arts, clubs, athletics and non-athletic opportunities.
“We are humbled by the trust and belief you have put into us,” the statement said. “Whatever challenges we (all of us) will face over the next year, Andrea, Jack, Jon and Jeff will continue to hear and respect.”
Steiner and Guizar return to the school board, while Bechdel and Royer replace Musser and Kristen Bruckner, who did not seek reelection.
Centre County received 10,881 mail-in ballots by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. About 8,700 were included in the unofficial vote totals posted by the Elections Office on Tuesday night. The remaining ballots were being counted on Wednesday.
State College Area Board of School Directors
Deborah Anderson (D/R) 10,285
Peter Buck (D/R) 10,201
Carline Crevecoeur (D) 9,908
Jackie Huff (D) 9,887
Michelle Glenn Young (R) 6,996
David K. Hutchinson (R) 5,539
Write-in 137
Bellefonte Area Board of School Directors
Andrea Royer (D/R) 5,117
Jeffrey Scott Steiner (D/R) 4,996
Jack Bechdel II (R) 4,645
Jon Guizar (R) 4,597
Rodney E. Musser (D) 2,155
Jordan Emely (D) 2,098
Write-in 87
