May 17, 2013 3 min read

Several districts in Washington County have competitive school board races in the Tuesday’s primary.

Voters will choose Democratic and Republican nominees, who will then face off in the November general election. Candidates for school board are permitted to cross-file on both ballots, meaning that they can win nomination by both parties.

Six Democratic candidates are running for four spots on the ballot in the Bentworth School District. John M. Petrisek, David Atkinson, Lisa Stout-Bashioum, Elizabeth R. Bellicini, Ken Yankowsky and Judith A. McCarty are running in the Democratic primary. McCarty, Atkinson and Bellicini have also cross-filed and will be running on the Republican ballot.

Thomas S. Katruska and William A. Balog Jr. are facing off against each other on the Democratic ballot in Bethlehem-Center’s region one seat. Katruska is also cross-filed. In region three, Donald L. Crile and Wade A. Smith are competing for one seat on the Democratic and Republican ballots.

In Charleroi Area School District, four seats are open on the school board and Barbara L. Pepper, Kenneth J. Wiltz, Rosalie Carroll, Patsy Laskey Brinker and Joseph Caruso are running on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Frank Paterra is only filed to run on the Democratic ballot.

Nine people are running for four seats on the school board in Fort Cherry School District, eight of whom have cross-filed. Scott A. Bish, Cynthia Eger Gaskil, Jeanine Robinson Miles, Richard A. Ward, Leann Darnley, Joanne Wagner, Christopher Lauff and D’Anna S. Watson are all running in the race listed under both parties. Louis R. Ursitz is running only as a Democrat.

Four seats are open on Peters Township School Board, and seven candidates are running. Lori Cuervo, Rebecca Bowman, Sue Smith, David P. Hvizdos, Cynthia Golembiewski and Lisa Anderson have cross-filed. Jamison J. Hardy is filed to run only as a Republican.

Seven candidates are cross-filed to run for three at-large seats on Ringgold School Board. Charles Chuck Smith, Elizabeth Brough, William C. Stein Jr., Donald A. Bartoe, Christopher D. Carro, Sherrie L. Crawley Garry and James Jim Dodd are on both tickets. Another at-large seat on the school board has Carol Fida Flament, Lawrence L. Mauro, Matti Gruzs and Jason H. Gerard on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. In region one, Donald A. Bartoe and Lawrence L. Mauro are competing on both ballots. Robert Bob Smith and Carol Fida Flament are going against each other on both ballots in region two. In the third region, Maureen Ott and Frank Turko are both cross-filed and competing for one seat.

Two seats are available in region one of Trinity Area School Board, and Bryan W. Lowe, Frances Eates, Scott R. Day, Dennis McWreath and Joseph Labella are cross-filed. Maureen E. Johnson is running only as a Republican. In region two, Sandra Clutter and Thomas Durbin are competing for one seat on the Democratic and Republican ballots. In the third region, Martin D. O’Brien and Edmund Ben Trapuzzano are cross-filed, while Milana M. Nick is filed only as a Republican, for one available seat.