Wednesday, November 05, 2003

By Eleanor Chute, Post-Gazette Education Writer

In the only contested race for Pittsburgh School Board, Democrat Dan Romaniello campaigned without taking anything for granted, and last night he was winning over Republican nominee Eileen Papale by a wide margin.

	Mike Romaniello, father of District 6 Pittsburgh school board candidate Dan Romaniello, watches his son campaign last night amid a flurry of last-minute voters in Beechview. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

"We've proved now what we proved in the primary -- that people are ready for a change," said Romaniello, 48, of Brookline, who won on the Democratic ticket in the primary in District 6.

Incumbent Jean Wood of Brookline did not seek election, but Romaniello said Papale's primary bid was supported by some members of the current board majority.

Romaniello said he knows the needs of his district, but, "We need to run the board as a city school system, not as nine separate little districts all out to grab their little piece of the pie."

Papale, 50, of Brookline, an engineering technician with the city, won the Republican nod in the primary. Given the heavily Democratic voter registration, she figured she had little chance yesterday. She said she campaigned only "the minimum" amount.

Romaniello, a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation maintenance worker at the Fort Pitt Tunnels and a union leader, has been seriously campaigning, visiting senior citizen centers and knocking on doors.

"The No. 1 thing I ran on was the simple word of sanity," said Romaniello.

When the new board is sworn in Dec. 1, there will be one other newcomer, Patrick Dowd, 35, of Highland Park, a teacher at The Ellis School who won on both tickets in the primary in District 2, upsetting incumbent board President Darlene Harris, 50, of Spring Hill.

"I really do believe the city of Pittsburgh has voted for student achievement," Dowd said yesterday.

He views student achievement as the most important element and one that must be considered with every question.

Dowd said the new board will need to address the issue of overcapacity of city schools.

On the new board, Dowd expects there will be "a much better camaraderie and collegiality."

The election means a change in the balance on the board. Both Harris and Wood have been part of a 5-4 board majority. In addition, the board will have to elect a new president.

Two other school board seats were up for re-election, but incumbents in both had no opposition yesterday.

In District 4, Bill Isler, 56, of Squirrel Hill, ran uncontested on both tickets in the primary.

In District 8, incumbent Mark Brentley Sr., 46, of Perry Central, won on both tickets.

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