Four North Huntingdon residents have filed petitions asking Westmoreland County judges to appoint them to fill a vacancy on the Norwin school board, including two who were rejected by the divided board last month.

George C. Blissman, Matthew P. Thomas, Fran Bevan, and Emily Gindlesperger are seeking the appointment to fill the late Joanna Jordan’s term that ends when the board reorganizes Dec. 4.

A fifth petition, filed by Diana Gray on Sept. 11, asked the court to appoint a qualified candidate, but did not specify who should be selected.

The judges have yet to set a deadline for receiving nominations or meeting to appoint someone to fill the vacancy, said Amy Mears DeMatt, Westmoreland County court administrator.

School solicitor Russell Lucas said the board lost its authority to fill the vacancy when the petitions were filed with the court.

Neither Bevan, a former school board member, nor Gindlesperger, were able to garner the necessary five votes on Aug. 28 when the board also could not reach a consensus on two other candidates: former school board president Robert Perkins and former Norwin High School principal Tim Kotch, who is running for seat on the school board in November’s election.

Bevan and Gindlesperger were supported by Christine Baverso, Alex Detschelt, Shawna Ilagan and Robert Wayman, while Perkins and Kotch got the votes from Darlene Ciocca, William Essay, Raymond Kocak and Patrick Lynn.

Jordan died Aug. 1, and the board had 30 days to fill a vacancy before residents could petition Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas to fill the vacancy. The school board is not scheduled to meet again until Oct. 9.

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