The Burlington County Clerk’s Office certified the general election results in January.
There were three, three-year term seats open on the Southampton Township Board of Education in the Nov. 7 general election.
Incumbent Russell Hann and newcomer Leon Carelli were on the ballot in the uncontested race. No one petitioned for the third open spot.
Hann received the most votes with 2,060 and Carelli followed with 1,914 votes. There were 127 personal choice votes.
Charles Roseboro ran for reelection for the open seat in an uncontested race for the Lenape Regional High School District board. He received 2,136 votes.
Ahead of the general election, we asked candidates why they were running for an elected seat and what they would like to concentrate on as an elected official.
Hann, who has served on the school board for 32 years, will begin his next term when the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
It has been and honor to serve the community of Southampton. I ran for the board when our children were attending our elementary schools. Education is my passion and I wanted to be involved in making sure that our community was afforded the best educational possible opportunities. We, as board members, must work together to insure that our school community is providing the leadership team with the support they need for student academic success as well as ongoing district wide School Climate, Culture and Security Initiatives. The administrative team is developing an action plan to increase student math progress. The Board of Education will be monitoring this information.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
We must make sure that we are able to provide our staff with the support they need to achieve our goals. Our leadership team, teaching staff, support staff, board of education, and community working together will provide a “tradition of excellence.”
Carelli will begin his first elected term when the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
We should all strive to be part of the solution, not the problem. I love this district and this town. When it was time to raise a family, I was proud to make Southampton my forever home. I’ve attended many schools throughout my life and have a perspective and skill set that can help our schools. I believe in getting the truth and working with the facts. Our goal is, and should always be, “What is best for our kids?”
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
If elected, I will focus on implementing policies to provide consistent and clear communication with parents, teachers, and administration. Without clear communication and an engaged community, we can’t begin to address the many challenges facing our kids and our district.
