6 candidates vying for 4 BVA school board seats
Five of the six candidates crossfiled to appear on both Democratic and Republican primary ballots May 20.
The Belle Vernon Area School Board has a full slate of candidates running for four open seats during the upcoming primary election on May 20.
Incumbents Michelle Callaway- Rodriguez of Rostraver Township and John A. Habel III of Washington Township face opposition by candidates Jack Curran of North Belle Vernon, William Hrach of Rostraver Township, Joseph Malaspina of Fayette City and Adam R. Spitznagel of Rostraver Township.
All candidates crossfiled, with the exception of Malaspina who filed only as a Republican candidate.
Current board Directors Jason Gross and Tara Jurczak are not seeking reelection.
There are four Democratic and four GOP nominations to be won Tuesday, respectively, meaning a candidate could hypothetically finish outside of the top four in one party’s primary and still secure enough support in the other to earn a spot on the November ballot.
The Mon Valley Independent reached out to each candidate with the same
questions for this story. Callaway-Rodriguez and Malaspina did not respond to requests for comment.
Jack Curran
Jack Curran is a North Belle Vernon Borough councilman and received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Penn State. Curran said he has been on North Belle Vernon council for nearly 14 years.
“I have deep roots in the community, and I’ve served as council chair for finance for the last couple of years and also for infrastructure for a number of years, which, I think, could relate a little bit to the school board,” Curran said.
His main priority, if elected, would be to focus on increased safety procedures for students in the district. A second priority for Curran is to be fiscally responsible with the district’s finances.
“Our community is unique, with both Fayette and Westmoreland counties, and there’s a diverse group of people,” he said. “I’m conservative by nature, and want to just watch that we do everything we can to keep the taxes down.”
A third priority for Curran is to work on maintaining good teachers in the district and to negotiate a good contract for other staff members, like custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers. He added he wants to tackle the turnover in administration within the district.
John A. Habel III
John A. Habel has been on the board since 2021 and graduated from Belle Vernon Area High School with the Class of 1993. Habel then received a bachelor’s from California University (Now PennWest) and also received an associate degree from the Westmoreland County Community College.
If reelected, Habel told the Mon Valley Independent he wants to focus on improving school buildings throughout the district.
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Habel believes the current elementary schools are crowded and that the issue needs to be addressed. He said it’s an issue the current school board has not made much progress on.
William Hrach
William Hrach, a long-time resident of Rostraver Township, has several goals for the school district if elected. Hrach told the Mon Valley Independent he was inspired to run after he was approached with ideas for new facilities at BVA.
A senior property manager for Cushman and Wakefield, he said his work experience would help the district work towards better facilities.
Hrach said his top three priorities if elected would be: Fiscal responsibility and long-term financial stability; quality, well-run facilities; educational excellence.
Adam Spitznagel
Adam Spitznagel graduated from Duquesne University and is a certified public accountant. With his business background, he believes he can bring something that is much needed for the district.
One of his main priorities is to work on updating school buildings throughout the district, including sports facilities. He graduated from Belle Vernon Area High School in 1997 and says the school has remained the same since then.
“The schools themselves, the stadium, just general facilities, are in trouble,” Spitznagel said
