State representative candidate should attend school board meetings

I feel compelled to bring attention to school board representation in Council Rock, especially Region 9: Wrightstown Township and Newtown Township Districts 1 & 2. This is my region and is currently held by Kristin Marcell.
Marcell won the election by just seven votes in a recount less than a year ago and only six weeks later she chose to run for state Representative. The Council Rock School District, just like all area school districts, is facing some real challenges as well as some pivotal changes in administration. When Wendi Thomas decided to run for this same state Representative position, after serving for 10 years on the school board, she did the right thing and resigned her school board position before the primary election in May.
Why would Mrs. Marcell choose to follow in Mrs. Thomas’ footsteps in her bid for higher office yet not submit her resignation so that Council Rock and Region 9 have a fully committed board member readily available to represent? Her diminished participation at board and committee meetings since January clearly illustrates that she is distracted by her campaign.
Ed Salamon, president of the CR School Board, has a responsibility to request Mrs. Marcell to either make the time and give her undivided attention to the office she presently serves or resign. We need and deserve to have a focused and dedicated representative for our school district and students.

The appropriate action of the school board thereafter, should be to appoint Nikki Khan to fill the position. Ms. Khan received 1,450 votes, 50% of the votes cast, a statistical tie, to Marcell’s 1457 votes for this same position less than a year ago. Ms. Khan continues to be involved in all aspects of the school district and school board business and has the confidence of much of the constituency that she will represent.
Politics has no place on the school board. The challenges and duties of the school district alone should be the focus. Although there was a letter written from the Wrightstown Republican Committee assuring people that Marcell’s replacement will be a Republican (how inappropriate!). I implore the school board directors, as well as those in charge of the political parties to prove to our community that it is “students first, always” and politics last. This may lessen the divide that cripples us, our community and our nation.
Marilyn Scarpa, Newtown Township

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