Habel named to BVA school board

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

The first order of business at Monday’s Belle Vernon Area School Board meeting was to seat a new board member, filling the vacancy created last month by the resignation of Director Dan Engstrom.

The newest member is no stranger to the meetings, and is one of two people to win both the Democratic and Republican nominations for the November ballot. John Habel III regularly attends board meetings, which was one of the reasons the board nominated him to fill the current vacancy.

“He’s been coming to these meetings for years and I think he’s familiar with the finances and the issues,” Director Joe Grata said as he nominated Habel for the position.

Solicitor Amy Schrempf clarified that Habel will serve only until the December reorganization in the position to which he was appointed Monday. Then he will be seated as a four-year member of the board following the election. 

The two-year vacancy on the board will be filled during the general election with the Fayette and Westmoreland county Democratic and Republican parties submitting names to the Westmoreland County Board of Elections, which oversees the Belle Vernon Area School Board races since the district is in both counties.

“Thank you for giving me a chance,” Habel said. “I’ll try not to disappoint you, the students or the citizens.”

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