Newcomer wins 6-way race for Allegheny Valley School Board

The prospect of revisiting the fate of Colfax Elementary ranked among the top issues for five candidates elected Tuesday to Allegheny Valley School Board.

The five winners included two newcomers, a former board member and two incumbents, according to unofficial results.

The winners included Paula J. Moretti, a cross-registered newcomer who finished as the top vote-getter with 18.4% of the votes counted; former board member Kathleen Jean Haas and incumbent James M. Gaschler Jr., both of whom cross-filed and collected 18.1% of the votes; Steve Puskar, a cross-filed incumbent who picked up 17.4% of the votes; and Republican newcomer David M. Buchman, who garnered 14.5% of the votes.

Board Vice President Glenna L. Renaldi, a Democrat, lost her seat with 13.1% of the votes.

Haas didn’t attribute the wins to a strong mandate for change. She said Renaldi might have fared better had she been cross-filed like the race’s other candidates.

Puskar, the board treasurer, lamented the loss of Renaldi, who has been on the board for nearly 20 years.

“It’s a big loss,” he said. “She bleeds orange and black and that experience — you can’t quite replace it.”

Renaldi didn’t return a phone call for comment Wednesday. Gaschler and Buchman did not return calls either.

Allegheny Valley’s school board voted 6-3 in October to demolish the Colfax school after moving its students to the expanded and renovated Acmetonia Elementary School last year.

“People are worried the new board will take a new vote when they come in,” said Haas, who supports demolishing the school.

She said she doesn’t think the new board will overturn the board’s decision.

“Unless somebody could do some talking to sway the board … I think that has a slim chance,” Haas said.

Moretti expects the issue to come up again but doesn’t think it will come up for a vote.

Moretti said she supports the demolition and holding onto the land for a future use, including another district building or a facility such as tennis courts or an aquatic center.

Although she disagrees with some of the new members’ opinions, including revisiting a vote on Colfax, Moretti said she looks forward to working with the board.

“Everybody brings their own opinions about what needs to be done and that’s where ideas are sparked,” she said.