Regional elections guarantee a voice

Pennridge Citizens for Direct Representation plans to petition Bucks County Court to change the way school board members are elected in the Pennridge School District.
“Local representation makes practical sense for our school district.” said Matt Aigeldinger, a Perkasie resident and former borough council president. “This initiative means greater accountability for elected school directors and guarantees a voice on the school board for all residents.”
Pennridge voters have been electing school board representatives at large since 1966. At the time, the total population of the eight municipalities that comprise the district was about 21,000. Since then it has climbed to just over 52,000.
“Community engagement can be a real challenge reaching all corners of the district with the at-large model,” said Lois Dodson. “It requires significant resources and time to cover nearly 100 square miles spread out over eight municipalities. Regional representation would reduce those challenges and lead to better relationships between board directors and the communities they represent.”
The Pennsylvania Public School Code allows for three options to elect school board members: at large; in three regions with three directors per region; and in nine regions with one director per region.
The code also includes a provision that allows changes to the representation model. The school board can petition the court and reorganize itself, or electors can submit a petition to the court of common pleas. The petition must include signatures of registered voters equal to 25% of the highest school board vote total in the most recent municipal election. In this case, PCDR’s goal is about 3,000 signatures. Volunteers are currently circulating petitions in the community.
PCDR has developed a proposed map that includes:
● Region 1: West Rockhill (Argus), East Rockhill, Bedminster, and Dublin with a total population of 17,368
● Region 2: Sellersville, Perkasie, West Rockhill (Rockhill) with a total population of 17,295.
● Region 3: Hilltown and Silverdale with a total population of 17,089.

In developing the new map, PCDR followed three fundamental criteria: that regions must be contiguous and follow existing precinct boundaries; that the population in each district be nearly equal; and a minimal number of municipality splits.
The proposed map accomplishes all three goals, with only a 1.6% population deviation and only one township split (West Rockhill). Regions can be adjusted after the next census if the populations become unbalanced.
If regional voting is approved, all current board members will retain their existing seats and complete their full terms. In 2023 and 2025, they would be able to run again in the region where they live.
In addition, according to current figures, the majority party registration would be the same in all three regions as it is in the full district.
Lee Rush, a lifelong resident and Pennridge graduate, said the dramatic shift in population over the last 56 years and the need for more productive communication between residents and board members is a driving force behind the effort.
“Creating regions is the right model for Pennridge, now and for the future,” said Rush, a member of the PCDR. “Direct representation is a fundamental tenant of democracy and regional voting would advance that goal in a meaningful way.”
Pennridge Citizens for Direct Representation
pennridgevoters@gmail.com

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