Voters will see 2 candidates for Fox Chapel Area School Board Region 2

Fox Chapel Area School District voters will decide between two candidates this fall to represent Region 2.

Greg Dolan and Ariel Zych each secured a nomination on the fall ballot. Both were cross-filed in the May primary.

According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, Zych handily won the Democratic nomination with 1,087 votes to Dolan’s 258.

On the Republican ticket, Dolan took the top spot with 661 votes to Zych’s 405.

Region 2 covers Fox Chapel Borough Districts 2, 4, and 5, and all of Indiana Township.

“I’m so glad the residents of Fox Chapel and Indiana Township will have a real choice for school board in November,” Dolan said. “I am running to be an independent voice. I am not beholden to the current board members, I will not play favorites among teachers and administrators, and I will have an open ear to all resident feedback.”

Dolan, a teacher, said Fox Chapel Area School Board needs to get control of its spending and stop Critical Race Theory indoctrination of students. He said behavioral issues are made to be about race and that it needs to stop.

“The primary job of the school board is the budget,” said Dolan, a member of the resources planning committee who helps the school board craft the budget each year.

Fox Chapel Area spent about $25,000 per student this year while the state average is $16,000 per student, he said.

“We need courageous school directors willing to make tough calls to prioritize education within budget,” he said. “Our current directors are content to raise taxes every year, even during the pandemic.”

His opponent, Zych, is a former public school teacher and agreed that excellent education requires diligent oversight.

“We must plan for long-term fiscal sustainability,” Zych said. “Our ability to provide a high-quality education to all families in our district must be built on a solid foundation of fiscal health, yet we’ve developed a year-to-year budget planning habit that has resulted in deficit spending three years in a row.

“We still have time to take a hard look at our spending, enrollment projections and programmatic needs in order to build a multiyear budget strategy that adequately funds our district while protecting taxpayers from untenable millage rate increases.”

Zych said she is honored to have earned the votes of so many community members May 18 and grateful to the parents and volunteers who supported her primary campaign.

She plans to spend the summer listening, preparing and celebrating.

“Listening to families about their experiences and concerns, preparing for my oldest son’s first day of school at Fairview Elementary and celebrating with everyone a long-awaited return to normal,” Zych said.