Penn Hills School District officials seek to fill empty school board seat
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Elizabeth Rosemeyer has stepped down from her elected post, creating a vacancy on the Penn Hills School Board.
Her resignation was submitted Aug. 11 and was accepted by the board at its Aug. 17 meeting.
Rosemeyer told the Tribune-Review she was leaving for personal reasons, and those responsibilities would not leave her enough time to focus on district endeavors.
“I’m proud to have been a part of what the district has done to move forward,” she said on Aug. 22. Rosemeyer declined further comment.
Rosemeyer joined the board in 2020. Her term expires at the end of 2023.
Whoever is appointed as her replacement would have to run in the 2023 election to keep the seat.
Board president Erin Vecchio said she thanks Rosemeyer for her service to Penn Hills, and wishes her well.
Resumes and letters of interest for the vacancy are being accepted at the district office, 260 Aster St.
District Solicitor Bruce Dice said the board has 30 days from the day after the resignation was accepted to fill the vacancy.
Residents can petition the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas to have a judge appoint someone after those 30 days are up.
The board has scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the elementary school to address the vacancy.
“My gut tells me they’re going to get some applications, and they’ll fill it before the 30 days runs,” Dice said.
Vecchio was not so sure. She recalled the May 2019 primary, where she and board member Rob Marra were the only two people running with five, four-year seats up for grabs that year.
“I’m concerned,” Vecchio said. “You know it’s a volunteer position, and it’s not an easy position. It’s a position nobody wants anymore. We were in bad shape and we’re at least getting better.”
No deadline to receive applications has been set.
“I don’t think we have any dire voting issues that we need to rush it,” Vecchio said. “We’re more concerned about the start of the school year.”
The first day of classes for students is Aug. 29.
The next scheduled voting meeting is Sept. 28.