There are five seats available for the Bradford Area School Board. The five incumbents on the school board are cross-filing for both parties’ nominations: Vickie L. Baker, Carla JM Manion, Gretchen Daugherty, Paul Ridley and Frances Forbes. Opposing candidates on the Republican ticket are Stephanie Scrivo and Matthew Lamade.
Scrivo
Scrivo is part of the Derrick City Volunteer Fire Department, where she holds the titles of President, Fire Captain, Junior fire department representative and also is a member of the Board of Directors.
Scrivo is employed full-time by the McKean County Department of Emergency Services. She has three children, all of whom attend the Bradford Area School District.
Scrivo says, in a joint statement with Lamade, “Public education is very important to us. We would like the opportunity to try and make a positive change in the direction of our future leaders. Investing in our children now means a vibrant future later.”
Lamade
Lamade has a Master’s degree in criminology from Indiana University of PA and a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Lamade is employed by the Bradford Township Police Department and has also served as a volunteer firefighter for the last 13 years. He is a member of the Masons and other organizations.
Lamade hopes to serve the school district by helping to stress safety in the school district through his theoretical and practical knowledge.
Cross-filing
Baker
Baker has lived in Bradford for her entire life and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a bachelor’s degree in Social Science. She is married to Bob and they have one son, Camden. Baker’s focus as a school board member is what’s best for the children, particularly in safety matters.
Manion
Manion was born and raised in Bradford and graduated from Bradford schools and later from Indiana University of PA with a degree in Elementary Education. She lived in California and Illinois and Saint Clair, PA, before returning to the Bradford area in 2005 with her husband, Dan. They have four children; Bryn, Danny, Peyton and Owen. Manion is the owner and president of Appalachian Energy Solutions, Inc.
She has served on the school board for 12 years and has held the positions of assistant secretary and treasurer. She feels that collaboration and supporting policy are key to the standard of excellence upheld in the school district.
Daugherty
Daugherty, who was appointed to the school board to fill the seat formerly held by Joe Troutman who passed away in March 2019, is a Family and Educational Advocate for Beacon Light Behavioral Health System. She has two sons who are residents of the Bradford School District, including one with special needs. Daugherty became the Chair of the IU9 Local Task Force (IEP parent training) two years ago and also is a part of the Bradford School Counseling Advisory Committee and Bradford High School’s Project ACHIEVE Committee.
Ridley
Ridley is a 1980 graduate of Grove City College with a BA in accounting. He resides on East Main Street with his wife Mary. He and Mary have four adult children, sons Joshua, Justin and Micah and daughter Elizabeth, who all came through the Bradford Area School system.
He believes the combination of three areas of experience uniquely qualifies him to serve the Bradford Area School District as a board member: his education and broad business experience, including an extensive background and understanding of fund accounting utilized by Pennsylvania school districts; involvement with a broad group of community organizations and eighteen years of experience in a leadership role on the Bradford Area School Board.
Forbes
Forbes is a graduate of Kansas State University with a B.S. in Interior Design. she is a 26-year resident of Bradford. She and her husband, Chris, have three children, Madeleine, Mitchell and Truman. All three either currently attend or have attended Bradford schools.
Forbes began volunteering in our schools almost 20 years ago when her eldest child entered kindergarten. Over the years she has aided teachers with classroom lessons, creative projects, special programs such as Science Fair, piThon Math Competition, STEM Robotics Program and various Drama Productions. Forbes has been a member of the Bradford Area School Board for 6 years.
The combined statement from Baker, Ridley, Manion, Daugherty and Forbes is as follows:
We are dedicated to guiding and supporting our District’s Administration, Teachers and Staff in providing the children of the Bradford community an ENGAGING, SAFE and SUPPORTIVE educational environment … We realize education is an ever-changing landscape that needs constant evaluation and adjustment to maintain a balance between children’s needs, both current and future; resources available; and the challenges facing citizens of our community.
Education today must provide our youth not only academic success, but career readiness, mental health support, and school safety. Our schools have not only maintained, but enhanced current programs; provided new offerings and resources; increased school safety measures; continued to develop community partnerships; and maintained and upgraded facilities – all with only one tax adjustment in 14 years.
