Three Concessions Issued For Council Rock School Board Election

This is a breaking news story, the details of which are current as of 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Refresh this page for updates.

NEWTOWN, PA — Three candidates in the Council Rock School Board have conceded the race on their social media campaign pages, with one saying they will likely demand a recount of votes.

Here are the latest results:

Republican Bob Hickey announced his victory in his race against Paula Barson in Region 3 on his Facebook campaign page, with Democrat Paula Barson conceding the race on hers.

Democrat Roy Ratszawski conceded the race out of Region 6 on his Facebook campaign page, congratulating his fellow Democrats and Republican candidate Michael Roosevelt.

Republican Keven Gessner said his campaign will "likely demand a recount at a minimum," according to his Facebook campaign page, as the election is too close to call at the moment.

Democrat Nicole Khan conceded through her Facebook campaign page, congratulating Republican Kristin Marcell. However, she later said these comments were not a concession, but rather an acknowledgement of the race, which is now divided by one vote.

The election for members of the Council Rock School Board is one of the most contentious parts of the election in Newtown. With the national discussion ranging from the masking of children to what they are being taught in schools, this part of the election is very important to voters across the township and borough.

The latest results are below:

• Region 3

  • Bob Hickey (R): 1,543
  • Paul Barson (D): 1,198

  Region 6

  • Michael J. Roosevelt (R): 1,748
  • Roy Rakszawski (D): 1,111

  Region 8

  • Keven Gessner (R): 2,020
  • Yota Palli (D): 2,080

  Region 9

• Marcell (R): 1,449
• Khan (D): 1,448

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Republican candidates include Marcell for reelection as School Director, as well as Roosevelt for the same position.

Marcell is campaigning on improving the quality of education for all Council Rock students, as well as balancing budgets and related funding.

“My goal is for the district to focus on what education should be about: ensuring success for every CR student every day - helping to bring out the potential of each individual student in our district,” Marcell said.

Roosevelt is campaigning on academic excellence in the school district, as well as overseeing the budget and using funds effectively for children and parents.

“I intend to work with other board members to solve the current problems our school district is facing such as: budget shortfalls, achievement gaps, and keeping kids first,” Roosevelt said. “I am motivated to run for this position as I feel my experience in running a company, interfacing with people, and my ability to collaboratively problem solve will be an asset to this school board.”

Republican school board candidates include Hickey and Gessner.

Hickey is campaigning on improving the transparency of the school board for parents and taxpayers, while also emphasizing what he calls ‘STEAM’ education, similar to STEM.

“I believe there should be a stronger focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) while also exploring and promoting other career avenues such as the military and the trades,” Hickey said. “I believe schools should balance their budgets like families.”

Gessner is campaigning on lowering taxes and improving the quality of education for children around the district.

Gessner said one of his priorities will be to “hold the line on taxes and focus on improving our school rankings.”

The Democratic candidates include Khan, Palli, and Barson for positions on the School Board.

Khan is campaigning on working on in-person education while keeping them safe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The single most pressing issue facing our current school board is the lack of conversation about educating our children,” Khan said. “I want to put the focus back on education, while keeping our children and staff safely in school.”

Palli is campaigning on following science-based measures to keep children safe during the pandemic, something she says previous board members have ignored.

“I plan to bring it together with respect, compassion, empathy and thoughtfulness,” Palli said. “We must help our kids academically, socially and emotionally, especially as we recover from this pandemic.”

Barson is also campaigning on keeping children safe, while emphasizing the importance of in-person classes for the mental health of all students.

“The top priority is to have a plan in place that allows students to stay in school, safely in buildings that meet the standards of this community,” Barson said. “I follow the science and I believe the district should follow the recommendations of the PA Department of Health, the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Bucks County Department of Health.”

Return to Patch tonight for the latest vote tally. Subscribe to free News Alerts for election results.

Nov. 2 saw 476,127 registered voters have the opportunity to vote in person or on a mail-in ballot for district attorneys, school board members, and district judges.