North Hills School Board 2023 Primary Candidate: Deanna Philpott

ROSS AND WEST VIEW, PA — Patch has reached out to the 11 candidates for North Hills School Board on the May 16 primary ballot and requested they complete a questionnaire so voters can be better informed when voting. The questionnaires are being posted as Patch receives them.

Name: Deanna Philpott

Age: 40

Residence: Ross Township

Position sought: School Board Director

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: My husband and I have three kids- Miles and Noah are at McIntyre, and Owen is about to be 2.

Education: Proud North Hills graduate! I also earned a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies from Penn State and a master's in sociology from American University, along with two graduate certificates in Leadership from American and Project Management from George Washington University.

Occupation: As a school wellness consultant partnering with the PA Department of Health, I work with school districts across PA on wellness areas like recess, school meals, walking and biking to school, and gym and health curriculum.

Previous or current elected office: I began my first term as a school board director in 2019.

Why are you running for re-election? I love being on our school board. I love being able to work daily to make our district even better for all of our kids and our community better for every single neighbor. I love being able to build relationships with our staff, our students, and our community, listening to them about their needs. With the pandemic occurring only three months after I began my first term, there is still so much I want to accomplish, and there's so much work to be done because of the pandemic. I look forward to continuing to make North Hills even more incredible.

What is the single biggest issue facing the district? There is an increase in mental and emotional health needs and learning gaps. We need to address these issues with an evidence-based approach and a vision that includes best practices in education. We should be caring for the well-being of each child and our community as a whole.

What sets you apart from other candidates seeking this office: I bring a unique skill set to our board with my professional experience in K-12 health and wellness. Not only do I have expertise in the topic, but I see what other districts across the state are doing every single day to improve their community. Coming out of the pandemic, that expertise and experience is especially needed. Our kids can't learn unless their mental and physical needs are met first. Also, I believe that all votes should be made with fiscal responsibility in mind, following research and data, not opinions or feelings. I will always follow expert guidance when voting. Lastly, I take this responsibility of being on our school board extremely seriously and understand that a school district can only do so much with the resources we have. I work closely with our state legislators to advocate for not only our kids, but for all kids across Pennsylvania to make our educational system better for every single student and teacher.