The final, verified numbers
aren’t in, but it seems that the Democratic Party write-in campaign for school
board in Region C of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District worked.
As reported, the initial
returns indicate that either Gregg Lindner or Kathy Do—or both—will be on the
ballot in November’s general election. The counties still have to verify the
results from the May 17 primary and then determine how many votes each of the
two write-in candidates received. Initial results showed the number of write-in
votes, not whose name was written.
Other questions remain,
however, questions that go to the why voters went for the write-in candidates
as opposed to which one. Are Democratic Party numbers growing in the region? Is
there Republican attrition? Are people just fed up with the current board and
simply want some new faces with, maybe, some new ideas?
U-CF School Board activity has
been contentious and controversial for years, beginning with the two failed
referendums on the high school renovation project followed by action on the
project within the tax limits of Act 1. That ruffled some feathers in the
community.
There was also the contract
extension for Superintendent Sharon Parker while there were still several years
remaining. That one ticked off a lot of people, too.
Now there’s a labor issue with
the Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Association, the teachers’ union. The
contract expired at the end of the last school year and teachers are currently
working under status quo. At best, this is unsettling.
In addition to labor talks, the
board is also trying to develop a budget based on less money coming from the
state.
Some people want the budget cut
with less spending. Others don’t want their favorite teacher or program cut. A
board member will be vilified no matter how he or she votes.
Regardless of what happens in
November, whoever is on the ballot or whoever wins that election, it is
heartening to see the status quo being shaken up a little bit. While people
still voted for candidates from one of the two incumbent parties, they at least
stuck their heads outside the box far enough to vote for people who weren’t
named on the ballot. That’s a good thing.
Another good thing would be to
treat the primary elections, at least for the nonpartisan races such as school
board and district judges, as truly nonpartisan by letting people other than
Democrats and Republicans vote. Currently, voters registered as Independents,
Libertarians, Greens or Constitutionals are prohibited from voting in primaries
even for these supposedly nonpartisan offices.
Maybe the primaries for all
races should be opened for all voters, too. After all, as the primary system
stands now, the game is for Republicans and Democrats only, but all taxpayers,
even those who are denied entry, are footing the bill. That’s not proper.
Either open the primaries to
all registered voters, or have the political parties pay for the primaries
themselves.
