Election 2025: Joseph Rooney For Abington School Board

Candidates running in the May 20 primary election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Joseph J. Rooney is running as a Republican for the Abington Township School Board in the May 20 primary general election.

Rooney is one of seven candidates vying for four, four-year terms, including some who are cross-filing as Democrats and Republicans.

The candidates besides Rooney are Brian Allen, Roy Bant Jr., Adrienne Fletcher, Republican Joseph O'Brien, and Democrats Angelique Frazier and Yaasiyn Muhammad.

Biographical Information

• Name: Joseph J. Rooney
• Age: 66
• Town of residence: Ardsley
• Position sought: Abington School District, School Director
• Are you an incumbent? No
• What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Abington Twp and Rockledge Borough
• Party affiliation: Republican
• Family: Married, five grown children
• Education: BS Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, USN Flight School, and many military and Aviation Training Programs
• Occupation: Retired Captain, Delta Air Lines

Patch posed several questions to candidates regarding their positions on the local and national front:

1. What is your position on the Abington Middle School referendum?

I am involved with the VOTE No project. We encourage everyone to VOTE NO for a better plan. ASD has no plan for this construction project beyond a vague stick drawing and the desire to borrow $285 million at an unknown bond coupon for an unknown period. We need to slow down this process. There is plenty of time to evaluate what option we have and make an informed decision about how to proceed. The building we already own is worth $50 million. It has been intentionally neglected by the district. I look forward to working on a serious, professional plan to improve the existing building, one that focuses on educating our kids and respecting our Abington and Rockledge Taxpayers.

2. How will cuts to the federal Department of Education impact local school districts?

There will be zero impact on the Abington School District from any changes in the current Department of Education. DOE funds make up approximately 1 percent of the current budget. I look forward to discussing this issue and the out-of-control ASD budget during this campaign.

3. What education background will you bring to the position?

I have been very involved with ASD for many years. I research the budget and ask relevant questions at every board meeting. Our school district should be focused on educational improvements for our kids. This includes improving our teachers, an excellent classical curriculum, and focusing on educating, not indoctrinating our kids. There are problems in reading education in ASD elementary education. That will be my primary focus.

4. What are the biggest challenges for the school district in the future?

We have the same number of students today that we had in the district seven years ago. Yet, today we spend $50 million more annually to educate our kids. There has been zero improvement in our education test scores despite a 33 percent increase in spending. We have too many fights in our middle school and declining test scores. Rather than focusing on the learning loss for our kids from the Covid shutdowns, ASD has decided that spending $285 million on a new school building should be the main district focus. This is educational malpractice.