Wednesday, October 22, 2003

By Mary Dunn

Six candidates will be vying in the Nov. 4 general election for five board seats in the South Allegheny School District. One Republican candidate, Rachelle Popowitz See, removed herself from the ballot because she moved out of the district.

Blair Wojton, Caroline Popovic and Falco Muscante won both Democratic and Republican party nominations.

Wojton is new to politics but not to the school district. He retired in 1996 from South Allegheny after 29 years as a teacher. Now he teaches for St. Michael's in Elizabeth. He has noticed "complaints from the residents" about the district and feels some board members "disregard what people want." He would like to see a change toward being fiscally conscientious and to be personally "responsive to the people."

Popovic, a registered nurse, became involved with the district about three years ago when plans began to evolve for the new South Allegheny Elementary School. She helped to gather the names of 1,800 people who petitioned the board to keep the local elementary schools open.

She contended that smaller schools "were better for the students and better for the community." And she is "tired of information [presented at the school board meetings] being swept under the carpet."

Muscante owns a private law practice and had experience in politics prior to the primary election. He is city solicitor in McKeesport and was a solicitor for both South Allegheny School district and Lincoln Borough. He would like to see the board focus more on education and children and "keep the politics out of the school."

Tricia Scott of Port Vue, the remaining Republican candidate, became involved in the school district when the local elementary schools were closed. She believes there is a "need for fiscal accountability" in the district.

She is a part-time janitor for the Dravosburg United Methodist Church and a full-time dental assistant student.

Incumbent school directors Russell Geary and Luke Riley are running on the Democratic ticket. Geary, of Glassport, is a South Allegheny High School graduate. He has been a business owner since 1976 and a school director for eight years. He said he has been a "part of good things" and would like to be able to continue doing what he has done for the district.

Riley, on the board for four years, has been the Liberty Borough police chief for 22 years. He hopes to "continue to increase [students'] test scores and provide quality education while maintaining a responsibility to the taxpayers."

Mary Dunn is a freelance writer.

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