Despite the importance of the school board in the lives of Southern Lehigh students, many are unsure of exactly what the board does and who it operates under. So, what exactly is the school board? As defined by Pennsylvania School Board Association, the school board is “a legislative body of citizens called school directors who are elected locally by their fellow citizens and who serve as agents of the state legislature.”

School directors work vigorously to make sure issues impacting not only the schools, but also the surrounding community are dealt with in ways that will most benefit the members of Southern Lehigh School District (SLSD). 

“Our job is to do what is in the best interests of our students and community even when it is the unpopular decision and that can be a really hard thing to do,” Southern Lehigh school director Mrs. Kyle Gangewere said. “We sometimes have to put our personal feelings aside to do what is best for the whole.”

In November 2021, four new school board members were elected to the Southern Lehigh school board: Ms. Mary Joy Reinhartz, Dr. Christopher Wayock, Mrs. Nicole King, and Mr. Stephen Maund. At the December board reorganization meeting, Ms. Reinhartz was appointed board president, and Mrs. King was appointed board secretary.  

These four new board members join incumbents Mr. William Lycett, Mrs. Kyle Gangewere, Mr. Jeffrey Dimmig, Dr. Priya Sareen, and Mrs. Emily Gehman. Mr. Lycett is the board vice president, Mrs. Gangwere is the board treasurer, and Mrs. Gehman is the SLSD representative to the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit Board.

Some of the board’s newest members ran for office because they felt as though they could use their personal, volunteer, and professional work experience to help them make decisions on issues facing the school district. 

“I ran for school director in order to help bring back a student-first mentality to the board,” Dr. Wayock said. “I felt that the student’s voices and their parent’s voices were not being heard as much as they should have, especially during the pandemic.”

The members keep in mind that they represent all of SLSD and that what may seem to be the popular view on an issue, may not always be the best decision for the school. 

“Each school director contributes by bringing their own unique perspective and life experience to the board,” Mr. Dimmig said. “You want to listen to members of the community that choose to communicate with the board.”

Although school board members have many roles and responsibilities, they are all working to ensure students at Southern Lehigh have the best possible environment to learn in.

“My overarching responsibility is to put the best interest of students first,” Mrs. Gehman said, “and to ask myself with every decision ‘How does this help young people in our community?”