Editor’s Note: This story first appeared on Armchair Lehigh Valley and is being published on lehighvalleylive.com as part of a partnership with the website, which aims to give voters factual information in a nonpartisan way to help them make informed decisions at the polls. Armchair Lehigh Valley is run by publisher Katherine Reinhard and editor Robert H. Orenstein, two longtime local journalists who formerly worked at The Morning Call in Allentown. Learn more about Armchair Lehigh Valley and subscribe here.
In the Nazareth Area School District, nine candidates are seeking election for four seats in three regions.
Only one incumbent – board President Gregory C. Leh – is seeking reelection, meaning at least three new faces will be on the nine-member board in December.
Leh, a Republican, is seeking reelection in Region 3, where one seat is open. His opponent is Republican Thomas McElroy. Only Leh has cross-filed, meaning his name will appear on both ballots.
The most contested seat is in Region 1, where two seats are up for grabs and five people are running. They are Democrats Saiann L. Knerr and Jeff C. Greener and Republicans Erin Ferguson, Elmo L. Frey Jr. and Melinda Gladstone. Only Knerr and Greener have cross-filed.
In Region 2, one seat is available with two people running. They are Republican Christopher G. Miller and Democrat Jason M. Swails. Both have cross-filed.
The May 16 primary comes as Nazareth Area School Board members have faced a steady stream of public comment since the COVID pandemic.
Members of Moms for Liberty – Northampton County have urged the board to adopt family and parent first policies such as those passed in the Central Bucks School District on restricting books with sexual content and setting up a process for book removals.
Three candidates have been endorsed by Moms for Liberty – Northampton County – Gladstone, Frey and McElroy, according to the group’s website.
In other districts, the group has endorsed A.J. Maniscalco and Bill Jones in the Northampton Area School District, Debra Mouisett in the Pen Argy Area School District, Cindy O’Brien in the Bethlehem Area School District and Annelle DiSanto in the Wilson Area School District.
The Nazareth Area School District covers the boroughs of Nazareth, Stockertown and Tatamy, and the townships of Bushkill, Lower Nazareth, and Upper Nazareth. It serves about 4,663 students in six schools.
In April, the board unanimously approved a proposed final budget of $106,011,148, which is a 3.39% increase over the current outlay. It raises the property tax by 1.14 mills to 57.94 mills, according to meeting minutes. The final budget must be approved by June 30.
Following is a look at the candidates. Information was found on campaign websites, Facebook pages, Linkedin sites, news articles, board meeting minutes and videos and profiles in the Voters Guide prepared by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Ferguson, Gladstone, Frey and McElroy will only appear on the Republican ballot. All the others have cross-filed. Only Democrats and Republicans can vote in the May 16 primary. All terms are for four years.
Region 1 – Two seats
Sariann L. Knerr – Democrat – Cross-filed: Knerr is a teacher who graduated from Nazareth High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Rutgers University and bachelor’s in elementary education from Bloomsburg University. She was a volunteer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and posted tweets about her role. She has been a PTO teacher representative and volunteer for Meals on Wheels. Knerr and Greener are running as a slate. They want to advocate for every student, listen, question and discuss issues, fight for adequate funding, be open, honest and fair, ensure a safe, positive learning environment and support teachers and staff. Knerr told The League of Women Voters that state funding is failing students with the burden falling on school boards to raise taxes or cut programs. She would push the state to use surplus funding to ensure students receive an equitable education. She said she cross-filed “because I want to represent the entire community, not just one party.”
Jeff C. Greener – Democrat – Cross-filed: Greener is a software analyst and support manager at Quick Chek who graduated from East Stroudsburg University. He has four children in the district. He and Knerr are running as a slate. They want to advocate for every student, listen, question and discuss issues, fight for adequate funding, be open, honest and fair, ensure a safe, positive learning environment and support teachers and staff. Greener said he wants to look for ways to improve public transparency in the decisions that are made by the board and responses to questions asked of the board.
Erin Ferguson – Republican – Republican ballot only: Ferguson, a mother of two, is a former business manager who teaches yoga to children. She and Chrristopher G. Miller held a joint get-together with voters. On her Facebook page, Ferguson said she wants to develop a sound fiscal budget without sacrificing quality education. She wants to protect the sanctity of childhood. “We have to stop all the extreme right fighters, stop discussing adult issues, and truly bring children back to the forefront of our discussions,” she said. Ferguson believes that “parents have to know what’s going on with their children and have to be a part of their children’s educational experiences across the board.” She said she does not agree with some content in certain books, but said “I also do not agree with banning them. I understand why some parents might want certain books banned, but if we start that, it opens us up to books being canceled that we do not agree with … for instance the attack on Dr. Suess (sic) and call for his cancellation.” Ferguson believes in establishing a parental consent system where certain books kept out of reach and only given with permission.
Elmo L. Frey Jr. – Republican – Republican ballot only: Frey, who is called Jake, is a former district justice in Nazareth who took office in 1986 and served for nearly 20 years before retiring. His father held the seat before him, later becoming Nazareth mayor. Frey was endorsed by Moms for Liberty – Northampton County.
Melinda G. Gladstone – Republican – Republican ballot only: Gladstone is a mother of two who works as a school nurse. She said she is a staunch advocate of parental rights, a defender of vaccine choice, a supporter of earned student achievement and an advocate for athletic development and performance. Her campaign material bears the words “Family First.” Gladstone was endorsed by Moms for Liberty – Northampton County.
Region 2 - One seat
Christopher G. Miller – Republican – Cross-filed: Miller is a graduate of Nazareth High School who attended University of Pittsburgh and also received police training. He is a detective with the Easton Police Department. Miller ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign for the board in 2021, calling himself a “pro parent choice” with “conservative values” on campaign graphics. He said he is running because “I want to keep our taxes in check and, if possible, find a way to lower them for the elderly who live on fixed incomes.” Miller wants to get education “back to the way (it) used to be – reading, writing and arithmetic.” He said, “I will do my best to get their school day back to just that.” With a background in police work, he said his main priority will be the safety of students. “When it comes to our children though, I hope we would all agree, we can never be too cautious and protective,” he said. Miller and Ferguson held a joint get-together with voters.
Jason M. Swails – Democrat – Cross-filed: Swails is a software engineer who earned a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Florida. He said he knows the benefit of a quality education. “With two young children coming up through the Nazareth Schools, I want to ensure each generation emerges stronger than the last, preparing them to handle modern challenges in a fast-paced and complex world.” Swails said a high school teacher hooked him on chemistry, and that Nazareth should take steps to attract and retain the best teachers. He also said, “School district tax revenue must be managed efficiently and responsibly.” Swails believes that politics and culture wars have no role to play in how the school board should advance the district’s educational mission. “In today’s polarized political environment, the Lehigh Valley is wonderfully diverse,” he said. “When our students graduate, their exposure to a rich diversity of political viewpoints will be to the benefit of both our community and our country.”
Region 3 – One seat
Gregory C. Leh – Incumbent – Republican – Cross-filed: Leh, a graduate of Nazareth High School, is the board’s president. He won by seven votes in 2019. He is senior director, business development for sports medicine relations at St. Luke’s University Health Network. Leh has a bachelor’s degree from Moravian University and an MBA from DeSales University. Leh is a father of three and grandfather of four children.
Thomas McElroy – Republican ballot only: McElroy is a field service technician for J.J.Sullivan Oil and Propane. McElroy was endorsed by Moms for Liberty – Northampton County. McElory has been speaking at recent school board meetings. He presented the board with books he felt should be in a restricted area but did not name them publicly. He told the board that he doesn’t believe in book bans, but thinks certain books should be kept in a special area. Only students whose parents have signed permission slips at the start of the school year should have access to those books. He also objected to the $16 an hour pay substitutes receive for the first 20 days of work, saying it is too low. He said it’s hard to get a teaching job in the district with positions going to those who know someone who works in the district. On his Facebook page, McElroy said he believes parents have rights. He believes all parties must work together and make concessions.
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