6 State College School Board Candidates Advance to November Election

All six candidates running in Tuesday’s primary for State College Area School Board will be on the ballot again in November looking to win five seats up for election.

With each candidate cross-filed on both party ballots for the primary, the five incumbents took the five Democratic nominations. With nearly all precincts reporting, Amber Concepcion, board president for the past five years, led the Democratic totals with 5,946. She was followed by current board vice president Amy Bader (5,814), Gretchen Brandt (5,655), Laurel Zydney (5,442) and Daniel Duffy (4,808).

Challenger Todd Baney claimed a nomination as the top vote-getter on the Republican ballot with 2,706 votes. Duffy (2,369), Bader (2,071), Brandt (1,917) and Concepcion (1,881) won the other Republican nods.

Vote totals are unofficial until certified.

Baney, a U.S. Army veteran and Penn State graduate, said he would use his experience in both business and the military to guide the school district on ‘how to do more with less,’ and bring ‘a fiscal conservative approach’ to the board.

The incumbents jointly announced their re-election campaigns, citing their commitments to and accomplishments in ‘meeting the needs of students and teachers, maintaining strong fiscal sustainability, building an environment for full equity and inclusivity, providing students with safe and up-to-date school facilities, and guiding the continuous improvement of academic quality.’

Concepcion and Zydney are both seeking their third terms on the school board. Bader, Brandt and Duffy are running for second terms.