15-05-2025
Southern York County School District: Who is on the ballot for 2025 school board election?
Eight candidates are on the ballot for four seats on the Southern York County School Board this year. The seats are all four-year terms.
Four are running under the banner of Citizens for Southern York County School Board, and four are seeking terms under the banner of SYC Conservatives for School Board.
Sarah Duclos, cross-filed
Bernadette Reinking, cross-filed
Jalen M. Sanders, cross-filed
Lou Vernet, cross-filed
Jason Dekker, Republican
Marylee Hall, Republican
Samantha Hall, Republican
Lisa Stahler, Republican
A former middle and high school history teacher and mother of two Susquehannock students and one alumnus, Duclos is running for school board to champion "practical policies that support both students and teachers," she expressed in her Citizens for Southern York County School Board website candidate biography.
"Ensuring that all career paths, including college, trades, and the workforce, are valued," Duclos said she believes in open communication, strong curriculum development, and retaining highly qualified teachers to provide the best possible education for students.
Reinking is a retired nurse, mother of four, grandmother of 11, and great-grandmother of one. Having previously served on a school board in York County, she said she appreciates education's role in shaping strong communities.
"I understand the responsibilities of the role and the importance of staying focused on what's best for students, teachers, and families," Reinking wrote in her Citizens for Southern York County School Board candidate biography. She said she believes in open and transparent school board meetings where teachers, administrators, and community members have a voice.
An advocate for librarians and teachers feeling supported without fear of retaliation, her goal is to foster "a positive, collaborative environment where every student receives a high-quality education in a school system that values its educators and staff."
A graduate of Susquehannock High School, Sanders' experience at SHS reinforced his "belief in the power of education and the need for diverse perspectives," he wrote in a Citizens for Southern York County School Board candidate biography. He has earned degrees from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Maryland Global Campus, and University at Buffalo School of Law. Sanders now serves as Director of Governmental Affairs for the Maryland Department of Transportation.
He said he hopes to empower the next generation and works as a mentor for high school and college students. "I am running for school board because I believe that school should be a place where every child has access to a safe, supportive environment and a quality education."
From volunteering with Girl Scouts and Southern York County sports teams, to serving as Vice President of the PTO, Vernet is a mother of two children who attend Shrewsbury Elementary and has been actively involved in the school district for years.
"I'm running for school board to ensure every child receives a quality education in a supportive, transparent, and accountable school system. Families deserve to feel heard, and teachers should have the resources and respect they need to thrive," Vernet wrote in her candidacy biography on Citizens for Southern York County School Board website. She believes in open communication, strong leadership, and a positive learning environment for all.
Dekker has lived in Pennsylvania since 2014 and currently resides in New Freedom with his wife and six children. He has served in key leadership positions at three publicly traded corporations. Having lived in seven states, he has observed how local governments function and brings varied perspectives with him.
'All parents, taxpayers, and business owners have a stake in our district, but not all have time to follow all the details of how the district is run," he wrote in a candidate bio on the SYC Conservatives for School Board website. Dekker said he is an advocate for taxpayers who do not have children but have "shouldered their share" of public education expenses. "They need representation as well.'
Marylee Hall is hoping to serve Southern York County school board for another term. She resides in Glen Rock with her husband and two teenage children and serves at her church and as a volunteer for local events and youth sports teams.
"I am seeking your trust and vote for another four years of dedicated service on the SYCSD school board," Hall wrote in a candidate bio on the SYC Conservatives for School Board website. "Not only have I enjoyed the experience of school directorship, but I am confident that in applying common sense and moral biblical principal values to every aspect of board service will help foster dedicated, moral, intelligent, productive, and responsible citizens as SYCSD students graduate and take their place in this world."
Samantha Hall is also running with the hopes of serving another term. A Republican, mother, and wife, Hall has worked in the communications industry for over 20 years and currently serves as the Communications Manager at Storage Asset Management based in York.
Hall felt inspired to run for her school board following the pandemic, as it significantly impacted businesses and schools. She served on the board for nearly four years and is a founding member of the SYCSD Warrior Coalition, a committee working to provide district initiatives for students, teachers, administrators, and families. She is focused on "constitutional-conservative values, the importance of parental authority and transparency in education, and fiscal accountability/return on investment to taxpayers," she wrote in a candidate bio on the SYC Conservatives for School Board website
Raised in Southern York County, Stahler has been a dedicated community member and with a background rooted in conservative principles, she believes in fostering an educational environment where "parents have a voice, taxpayers' dollars are spent wisely, and students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed academically and personally," she wrote in a candidate bio on the SYC Conservatives for School Board website.
Stahler said she believes her administrative experience with a local property management/real estate company, and her background in human resource development with roots in psychology & sociology, has allowed her to gain the experience necessary to make "thoughtful, practical decisions" that will benefit the district and families.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Southern York County School Board candidates for 2025
