Masking, Taxes Highlight 2021 Council Rock School Board Election

NEWTOWN, PA — Local elections are coming to Bucks County on Tuesday, Nov. 2, and voters have a lot of issues to vote on this year. From school board decisions to funding, this is a list of all the important issues to be voted on in November.

There are currently nine members of the Council Rock School Board. The majority of candidates this election are Democrats.

Currently, one of the biggest issues facing school boards across the nation is regarding the masking of children, which has become a point of contention at school board meetings in the Council Rock School District.

School Boards Decisions:

Masking

Kristin Marcell, the current School Board Director to the Council Rock School District, is running for reelection, and has said she wants to continue to have students attend school on the normal 5-day basis for the remainder of the pandemic.

She also said a priority of hers will be to "manage rising costs and budget deficits, without sacrificing a first-class education" as well as "protect our property values by supporting CR's educational excellence, while also creating value for every tax dollar."

Nicole Khan, a candidate for the Council Rock School Board, said the current board has not taken the health of students into consideration during the pandemic, something she wants to work on if elected. She specifically cited a 5-4 decision by the board to allow for medical exemptions of masks in schools.

"The plan did not mandate masks and offered very little in support of health mitigation to keep our children and teachers safely in schools."

Paula Barson, who is also running for a position on the board, agrees that more precautions should be taken for the safety of students and staff.

"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."

Yota Palli, a candidate for the Council Rock School Board Director, said wants to make more decisions based off of the current medical advice of professionals, something she says the current board has not done.

"The majority of the current school board to date has disregarded the opinions of the medical experts and voted for the students to return to school without proper safety guidelines," Palli said. "We need to protect our children and make sure that schools are open and our children are safe and stay in school."

Funding and Taxes

Marcell said she wants to "protect our property values by supporting CR's educational excellence, while also creating value for every tax dollar." This would be a part of her plan to keep unnecessary spending down for the school district.

Keven Gessner, a candidate for the school board, said he plans to "hold the line on taxes and focus on improving our school rankings."

Bob Hickey, who is also running for a position on the board, said he wants to take the taxpayer's needs into consideration, as well as the school district's.

"(...) I feel I have the knowledge to bridge the gap responsibly between the wants of the district and the needs of the taxpayer."

Palli plans on keeping taxes and property values as a top priority if elected. "We want Council Rock community to have high educational rankings, good property values, and reasonable taxes."

Barson said she would like to focus on infrastructure and make necessary renovations to the school district, especially Richboro Elementary.

"We need to make these updates to meet the high standard that families in Council Rock expect. This will also ensure that our property values remain high and the community is taken care of."