As recently as this year’s primary election, too few people have sought to be elected to the New Kensington-Arnold School Board.

In May, only three people were on the ballot for six seats, with Democrats having all three on their ballot and Republicans just one.

In the last election in 2021, Peter Nkemakolam won a seat to represent the district’s Region 3 but could not claim it because he lived in Region 2.

A proposal to do away with the district’s voting regions might help with the first problem and would eliminate the second.

The district is exploring moving to at-large elections, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said.

“Going to an at-large election would help prevent empty seats as we see in this election,” he said.

A committee consisting of board members Terry Schrock, Eric Doutt and Jane Graham is scheduled to meet to discuss the issue at 6 p.m. Thursday in the boardroom at Valley High School.

The meeting will be open to the public and available through Microsoft Teams. Information on joining the meeting will be available on the district’s website at nkasd.com on the day of the meeting.

The school board has nine members. The district currently is divided into three voting regions, with three members elected to represent each region.

While the district covers the cities of New Kensington and Arnold, Arnold is not its own region. Arnold is part of Region 1, which includes the northern area of New Kensington, while Region 2 stretches from the Parnassus area through downtown New Kensington into the southeast corner of Arnold.

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“The last couple election cycles resulted in low numbers seeking election,” school board President Tim Beckes said. “We are trying to find ways to rectify that outcome.”

Under the state school code, districts can elect their boards at large, by region or a hybrid of both.

The school code does not specify the type of vote required for a district to develop or submit a new plan, so a majority vote of the board would be needed, said Mackenzie Christiana, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

“The procedure also does not require public hearings or a referendum. However, our recommendation to school districts considering a change to their election plans would be to inform their constituents early and often and to have full public involvement throughout the process,” she said.

An election plan would have to be approved by a Westmoreland County judge.

“Decisions related to election districts are local ones,” Christiana said. “We advise our members to take their local situations into consideration when making these decisions and to ensure that decisions are made in a clear and transparent manner.”

No changes could be made that would affect the November election. Beckes said approval of the changes would not take effect until future elections.

In 2021, Region 3 board member Scott Bussard had not sought reelection. After Nkemakolam was declared ineligible, Bussard agreed to be appointed to fill the vacancy.

While write-ins filled in the upcoming November ballot for the board, the result was uncontested races for two seats each in Regions 1 and 2.

Schrock and former board member Robert Pallone, both cross-filed, are unchallenged in Region 1, while Beckes, a Democrat, and former board member Rob Fusia, a Republican, are unchallenged in Region 2.

In Region 3, one seat is up with a four-year term, and the seat held by Bussard is up with a two-year term.

While board member John Cope, a Democrat, is being challenged by newcomer Eric Felack, a Republican, for the four-year seat, Felack is cross-filed as the only candidate and therefore unchallenged for the two-year seat.