North Hills School Board 2023 Primary Candidate: Samantha Ellwood

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: Samantha Ellwood

Age: 37

Residence: Ross Township

Position sought: School Board Director

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: My husband and I have two sons (NH Class of 2030) and (NH Class of 2036).

Education: North Hills High School Class of 2003. Bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown; master's degree in instruction, curriculum and assessment from Drexel University.

Occupation: Executive Director at a local nonprofit.

Previous or current elected office: None.

Why are you running? I want to use my nearly 15 years of nonprofit educational experience to impact our district positively. I want to center the conversation on the actual needs of our district and community.

What is the single biggest issue facing the district? The biggest issue our district needs to address is student learning loss due to COVID. These academic setbacks affect students now and will have a future community impact when students enter the workforce. Schools and teachers need the resources and time to address this unprecedented situation.

What sets you apart from other candidates seeking this office? I have worked with school districts, teachers, and communities for my entire career. As a result, I can bring a diverse perspective of innovative solutions to our district. Additionally, I have spent years managing multimillion-dollar nonprofit budgets. I will be a responsible steward of funds while being transparent with stakeholders.