Jan 26, 2022 6 min read

School districts in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties have joined districts across the state to acknowledge the work of local school boards by celebrating School Board Recognition Month.

School board members make decisions on key issues including budgets, school safety and security, policy, hiring and textbooks.

But throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, their work has been more challenging as many school board members have faced backlash and public pressure on coronavirus-related issues, especially whether or not to require wearing face masks in school.

“The role they play in our communities is vital. Boards make decisions that are balanced with administration’s recommendations and the concerns of the community,” said Steven Puskar, superintendent of Burgettstown School District, who commended the district’s school board for serving the community and consistently making decisions based on the best interest of students. “These past 20-something months have been very trying for board members. They’re volunteers and they have not been put in an enviable position with COVID.”

Susan Clay, vice president of Uniontown Area School District School Board, has served on the board for 35 years. Her husband and three children graduated from Uniontown, and her grandchildren currently attend.

“I love this school district, and I want to see it prosper and I want to see it achieve above and beyond, and I think it has,” said Clay. “Over the years, I have found it very gratifying to serve on the board.”

Since April 2020, however, it’s been challenging to be a school board director, and Clay, like board members across the country, has found herself threatened by angry parents at school board meetings, and has received intimidating phone calls and emails.

“This past year has been unbelievable. We were getting angry phone calls, emails, people showing up at meetings. You go to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk, and you get bombarded by people,” said Clay. “I’ve had people in my face pointing their finger in my chest, screaming at me. I understand their passion, but they have to understand, we have laws we have to abide by. There’s no way you can satisfy everybody, you’re never going to satisfy everybody.”

In Pennsylvania, 4,500 school directors serve the commonwealth’s 500 public school districts.

According to Pennsylvania School Boards Association, 42% of school directors attended the schools in the district where they serve, and 95% of school directors have children who attend school in their district.

That’s the case with Burgettstown school board president Carrie Lonick-Snatchko, who was elected to the board in 2019.

Lonick-Snatchko graduated from Burgettstown High School in 1994. Her husband and mother were Burgettstown graduates, and Lonick-Snatchko’s daughters are third-generation Blue Devils – Lucy is a sixth-grader and Cecelia is a first-grader.

“I wanted the opportunity to work with and support the staff at Burgettstown Area School District,” said Lonick-Snatchko. “I respect the education profession so much, but never had the guts to be a teacher myself. Anyone teaching and working in the schools are superheroes to me, now more than ever. I truly love our town, schools and district.”

Lonick-Snatchko said she’s most proud of the communication and dialogue between the school board and Burgettstown staff during the coronavirus crisis last year, when schools were first faced with navigating remote and in-person learning, COVID mitigation protocols and other pandemic-related issues.

“At the end of the day, everyone – staff members, board members and community members – just want to do what is best for our children,” said Lonick-Snatchko.

School directors volunteer hundreds of hours of service, with no pay, each year.

Tara Sparks-Gatling, president of Washington School District’s school board, has been on the board for six years. She estimates she spends five to six hours a week on school board-related tasks, including responding to emails and phone calls, and studying issues – not including the twice-monthly school board meetings.

“I understand the importance of a good education, and I believe in participating and giving back to the community in which you live,” said Sparks-Gatling, who has two children in the school district. “It goes so much further beyond just my children. We have an obligation to make sure that all children receive a good education so they can become responsible and productive citizens when they become adults.”

Dr. Kevin Monaghan, superintendent of Central Greene School District, commended his school board for their service.

“I give our school board directors a lot of credit. Each and every one of them is there for the students. Nobody has an agenda, everybody is trying to make the Central Greene Area School District a batter place for the kids and community,” said Monaghan. “I love the collaboration that happens between between myself and the school board members, and the transparency that exists between us.”

Initially, when school boards became, in a way, battlegrounds for cultural and political differences, Clay considered not running after her term expires in two years.

“But now, I feel the exact opposite,” said Clay. “What’s happened over the last couple of years has actually made me want to stay and see things through.”

For Sparks-Gatling, the time and effort she invests in her role as school board director is worth it every time she attends Wash High’s graduation.

“I’m most proud of Graduation Day, to witness those students be able to turn their tassel. It’s like a rite of passage. It says to me that we’ve collectively worked together as a community to get them there, and it takes a village,” said Sparks-Gatling. “That is the ultimate goal and accomplishment in being a member of the board. We have a hand in helping shape decisions in the school district to make sure our students are successful.”

• School director elections are held every two years, on a 5-4 rotation;

• All school directors are elected to four-year terms. They serve as volunteers, without pay;

• 16% of school directors also serve on career and technical school boards, and 9% also serve on intermediate unit boards;

• All school boards include nine members.

• The number of female school directors was 41% in 2021;

• 22% of Pennsylvania school directors have more than 10 years’ experience as of 2021;

• 60% of all districts involve students at their local board meetings;

• 50% of school directors identified public service, and desire to give back and contribute to public education as the primary motivating factor in their decision to run for school director;