Meet Ralph Navarrete, An Incumbent Methacton School Board Member Seeking Reelection

LOWER PROVIDENCE, PA — As Patch continues its pre-election coverage, check out a profile on Ralph Navarrete.

He is an incumbent Methacton School director who is seeking reelection on Tuesday. See how Navarrete responded to a Patch questionnaire.

Age (as of Election Day)

44

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

I have a freshman and junior in Methacton High School and my wife teaches at Eagleville Elementary School in Methacton.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Strategic Management, Villanova University

Occupation

Global Product Line Director for Baker Hughes, an energy technology company. After starting my career as a refinery process engineer, I have spent the last 21 years in sales, business development, marketing, and product line management.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Current School Director for Methacton School District

Campaign website

care4methacton.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

Quite simply, to improve outcomes for our students and our community. For too many years, Methacton's school board was dominated by people without a vested interest in the outcome of our schools. Taxes were raised by the maximum allowable amounts, but student programs were cut and our facilities were allowed to deteriorate.

Over my last four years on the Board, we have added full-day kindergarten in Methacton; reduced K-2 class sizes; increased the academic minutes for core subjects; improved STEM opportunities across all grades; added programming to support the "whole child," such as student mental health supports in all buildings; repaired, upgraded, and reinvested in our buildings; greatly improved the quality of our administrative team; and done it while averaging tax increases of only 1.5%—the 4th lowest in Montgomery County.

I want to continue our work to improve Methacton's student programs by building out our planned STEM academy, improving our inclusion practices, improving our gifted and challenge programs, and continuing to support the "whole child" approach to education. I want to continue executing our Facilities Master Plan, which prioritizes investment in a controlled and predicable way, and continue managing our finances efficiently to extract the most value from our tax dollars.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

By far, the most pressing issue facing our district is the recovery of our students from pandemic learning. While school has mostly returned to normal this year, a year of mixed online and in-person learning has changed the educational base for our youngest learners, created difficult social impediments for all students, and left some students behind altogether. We must ensure that our teachers and staff have the time, resources, and professional freedom to meet students where they are and allow them catch up and excel.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe in science, truth, and the indisputable value of public education to our greater Methacton community. I believe our schools should be a welcoming place for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, nationality, or religion. I am proud to send my children to Methacton schools, which has enabled me to cultivate the relationships with Methacton teachers, staff, and administrators that make me an effective Board member. It is near impossible to hold the administration accountable when you don't know the real stories of what is happening in our schools.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My CARE team is focused on three main pillars for the next four years: (1) Prioritizing Educational Excellence, (2) Operating with Fiscal Efficiency, and (3) Repairing Neglected Infrastructure.

(1) Prioritizing Educational Excellence. We intend to develop a STEM academy in Methacton, continue to add supports for students impacted by pandemic learning, improve our gifted programs, and improve our career readiness programs for all students, whether or not they are college-bound.

(2) Operating with Fiscal Efficiency. We will maintain and improve our open, transparent budgeting process to minimize tax increases and make the most effective use of our limited tax revenue. We will regularly review the district's long-term debt for refinancing opportunities while interest rates remain low, and we will continue to negotiate labor contracts that meet the needs of our workers and the Methacton community.

(3) Repairing Neglected Infrastructure. We will continue to renew, update, and execute our Facilities Master Plan, investing $7M to $10M per year into core infrastructure. We will replace end-of-life HVAC systems with modern systems and upgraded building automation in order to more effectively control the environments in our buildings. We will continue to improve security measures—seen and unseen—at all of our buildings.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Four years of proven leadership on the Methacton School Board.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Shut your mouth and just listen.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In our Methacton community, I have volunteered extensively in my children's schools and their youth sports programs, including as the President, a board member, and a coach at FC Montco (formerly Methacton United Soccer Club).

Professionally, being responsible for a global business has allowed me to work alongside customers and colleagues from different countries, cultures, and walks of life. It has given me a deep appreciation for the challenges families outside of our small Methacton community face and how they may in turn affect our own students and families. Working in the highly cyclical energy industry causes me to take a more conservative position with district finances to ensure that Methacton is prepared to weather the inevitable market downturns with minimal disruption to our student's education and experiences.