Six Seek School Board Seats Tomorrow

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
November 03, 2025
Posted in: Politics & Elections

(Written by Adam Reinherz, Leslie Savisky and Jason Togyer)

Four seats are open on the McKeesport Area School Board and six candidates are currently seeking election on Tuesday.

Polling places are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A county spokeswoman said that anyone in line as of 8 p.m. on Election Day will be allowed to vote. First-time and newly registered voters will be asked to show an approved form of identification upon arrival to the polling place.

Although school board elections in Pennsylvania are officially non-partisan, in May’s primary, voters selected candidates to run on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.

Top vote-getters in the primary were, on the Democratic side, Matthew Holtzman, Arla Payne, David G. Donato and Kevin Kovach; and, on the Republican side, Holtzman, Donato, Kovach and Bob Boyle.

Donato and Holtzman are current members of the school board running for re-election.

In addition, Josh Lefcowitz, a White Oak resident who was appointed to a vacant seat on the school board in May, is running as a write-in candidate.

Biographical sketches of each candidate follows. To find your polling place and verify that you’re registered, visit the Allegheny County Elections Website.

Bob Boyle, 51, White Oak

Bob Boyle retired from the Pennsylvania State Police and has been working as the West Mifflin police chief for the past year and a half. The 51-year-old lives in White Oak and is married to Ashlee, a first grade teacher at Twin Rivers Elementary. They have two children, both MASD graduates. This is his first time running for the school board.

What makes you a good candidate for the school board?

Boyle: “I’ve been in the schools and attended board meetings as the police chief. I also ran the high school and Founders Hall by myself. This is a community service position, and some people lose sight of that. You have to do right by the people, and I can certainly help out with the safety and security of the school.”

There is a perception that McKeesport is a "bad place" to live. What is your response to that? How can you, as a board member, help to ensure that students are safe in school?

Boyle: “I live in McKeesport Area School District. There’s a lot of good kids and a lot of good teachers. I’m very comfortable living in the school district. A lot of kids lean on our schools for guidance. That’s my wheelhouse, school safety. I implemented the Titan Safety 365 website at West Mifflin, which is a centralized platform for safety. That is definitely something that is lacking [at MASD]. With technology, safety can be very cost effective.”

What contributes to low test scores and grades in the district? What can the board do to help retain teachers and other faculty?

Boyle: “I think creating that culture to make sure the kids are given the correct curriculum. More or less, giving them the opportunity to excel and making sure everyone is on the same page. I would be all for looking at the contracts and looking at the teacher’s pay so it is more in line with surrounding schools. Teachers want to feel supported, which means holding kids accountable. Teachers want to teach and, when students are held accountable, that creates a positive learning environment.”

What can the school board do right now to ensure that a situation like the Alexis Brown case doesn't happen again? What actions has the school board taken and what are the plans for future vetting?

Boyle: “With that situation, I think the school wasn’t transparent. They probably should have consulted with law enforcement, either the school police or McKeesport, because they work hand in hand. Also, ensuring anonymous reporting and that school counselors are active and there are enough of them. And there needs to be accountability and professionalism at every position in the school. That was a failure all the way around.”

David Donato, 76, McKeesport

Dave Donato, 76, is a lifelong McKeesport resident and married with two children. A resident of Myer Park, he is the longest serving MASD board member.

Donato is proud to have been recognized with the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) earlier this year for his 26 years of “scandal free, volunteer service.”

In 2016, Donato became the coordinator for the Best Man Scholarship, which annually gives one male student a $5,000 scholarship for post-secondary education. To date, they have raised over $60,000. “It’s the largest single endowment given to a student at McKeesport,” Donato said. Donato is seeking his eighth four-year term on the board.

What makes you a good candidate for the school board?

Donato: “When I served as board president, I signed the tax abatement that would permit the developers in the Oak Park Mall.* MASD has lowered property taxes three times — all three times I made the motion. There is a $20 million fund balance — the largest fund balance in MASD history. 24 percent of our total budget is a fund balance. It’s under the cooperation of the nine-member board that I’m so proud of to be part of the team.”

There is a perception that McKeesport is a "bad place" to live. What is your response to that? How can you, as a board member, help to ensure that students are safe in school?

Donato: “We just recently interviewed the 11 students for the Best Man Scholarship, and  they say, ‘That doesn’t go on in those walls.’ There are obstacles of one-parent families and troubled kids and sometimes those kids bring those problems to school. We just have to work with them and with everybody.”

What contributes to low test scores and grades in the district? What can the board do to help retain teachers and other faculty?

Donato: “Test scores are abysmal. We hired Don MacFann, the new superintendent, and he has that as a priority. It is one of the disappointments of my tenure here at McKeesport. As an occupation, teachers are not as excited to be teachers. But the most recent contract that was ratified a few months ago, 80 percent of the teachers voted to accept the contract. We also offer incentives like a $5,000 signing bonus.”

What can the school board do right now to ensure that a situation like the Alexis Brown case doesn't happen again? What actions has the school board taken and what are the plans for future vetting?

Donato: “You have to go with who they [security company] hire. You try to go with AIU recommendations; you interview them. Ever since COVID, there’s been a shortage of applicants. They are mandated reporters, and in some cases they did not report. Once the board found out about it, we had to handle it and we had to have a few people move on.”

Matthew Holtzman, 45, McKeesport

Matt Holtzman is a McKeesport firefighter with 23 years of service, a small business owner, husband and father of two young sons. The 45-year-old has lived in different parts of McKeesport over the years; he and his family currently reside in the 12th Ward. Holtzman feels that life experience gives him a unique perspective of the district and the specific needs of the neighborhoods. Holtzman is seeking re-election for what would be a second term.

What makes you a good candidate for the school board?

Holtzman: “Throughout my career, my union brothers and I have organized fundraisers like Operation Warmth, which puts winter coats on the backs of students right here in McKeesport. Through my apparel decoration business, Shogun Graphix, we’ve also printed T-shirts for breast cancer awareness and other community fundraisers. This year marks our 15th year raising money for those causes. That’s what pushed me to step up and run for the school board. I wanted to be involved every day. I’d say my strongest areas as a board member are public safety, community relations, vocational curriculum development and personnel.”

There is a perception that McKeesport is a "bad place" to live. What is your response to that? How can you, as a board member, help to ensure that students are safe in school?

Holtzman: “McKeesport has faced many challenges, particularly over the last few years. I understand there is a negative public image of the city, but I’m hopeful that producing bright students – who will become the future of this community – can help change that narrative and outcome. I believe the board’s efforts to reorganize the administration, hire a highly qualified school police chief and officers, terminate the former security company, and upgrade our systems and emergency response protocols were all steps in the right direction. Just as importantly, we’re putting student safety front and center. We’re overhauling emergency response systems in every building and changing how evacuations are handled… Protecting our kids isn’t negotiable. It’s nonstop work, and it will always be a top priority. When I first ran, I had a simple goal: to make our schools stronger and safer. But… You can’t fix a system divided by old politics. Good ideas mean nothing without a team that’s willing to fight for them.”

What contributes to low test scores and grades in the district? What can the board do to help retain teachers and other faculty?

Holtzman: “A major contributing factor to our test scores is attendance. We’ve made progress by utilizing attendance officers, but we’re currently exploring additional options to improve student attendance. Our assistant superintendent, Matthew Mols, proposed the idea of rewarding students on a monthly basis with a monetary incentive. Our teachers and faculty, under the leadership of our new superintendent, Don McFann, are making daily improvements. However, there is still much work to be done. As parents, we also have to take responsibility for fostering a home environment that is healthy and conducive to learning. Everything starts in our homes.”

What can the school board do right now to ensure that a situation like the Alexis Brown case doesn't happen again? What actions has the school board taken and what are the plans for future vetting?

Holtzman: “I was extremely vocal about not wanting to settle with that security company. They began in the district as a ‘temporary solution’ due to administrative interference and manipulation, which ultimately circumvented the board on that decision. I believe the action taken by the new board members and myself to replace that security company with a competent one – and  to hold accountable those who failed to take appropriate action – will set the tone for the future.”

Kevin Kovach, 46, McKeesport

Kevin Kovach is a 1997 McKeesport graduate and lifelong McKeesport resident. His two sons are McKeesport High School grads. Kovach, 46, lives in the 11th Ward. “This town can be rough, but I love it,” Kovach said. “I’ve lived here all my life, and I’m going to die here.” Kovach is in his 24th year at McKeesport Fire Department and was trustee, vice president and, most recently, union president of McKeesport Firefighters IAFF Local #10. He coached youth basketball and baseball for 16 years, including three years as the boys varsity basketball head coach. This is his first time running for the school board.

What makes you a good candidate for the school board?

Kovach: “I think one of my big areas [of expertise] is communications, I got to know a lot of union workers, and I want to produce more skilled labor unions. At the end of the day, the children, the staff and the shareholders are who we are here to service. Everybody running for the school board should feel that.”

There is a perception that McKeesport is a "bad place" to live. What is your response to that? How can you, as a board member, help to ensure that students are safe in school?

Kovach: “Later in my life, I’ve become an optimist. It’s a little bit less safe than other places, but we have to foster that culture at home. That’s the first step. There needs to be boots on the ground. We have a very unspecific district, on one end you have kids raising themselves and others with both parents making a good living. We have to service both ends of the economic spectrum.

“When it comes to safety in school, I think they do a pretty good job. But there needs to be discipline across the board. If a teacher gets hurt, we need to crack down and give support to the teachers. It’s a living, breathing thing – the discipline policy — and should be reviewed every two or three years. It’s 100% our job to ensure school safety.”

What contributes to low test scores and grades in the district? What can the board do to help retain teachers and other faculty?

Kovach: “One of the things I continuously hear about is the step program. I would have to be elected and sit on the board, but I think it’s a good program with the incentives. Let’s look at, ‘Are we in line with other districts, can we tweak it, speed up incentives?’ I also think we can utilize the property after school hours for teachers who want extra income: tutoring, cooking classes, shopping classes. If you’re a local person, teachers get a bonus for living in the school district. They’re putting their money where their mouth is.”

What can the school board do right now to ensure that a situation like the Alexis Brown case doesn't happen again? What actions has the school board taken and what are the plans for future vetting?

Kovach: “I think a lot of time we just trust the outside company. We should be doing the vetting ourselves, in addition to what the company has done. We run them ourselves. Not just for security officers, but any adult who has access to children. Double down on the vetting procedure. Worst case scenario, we have a double redundancy. It’s an embarrassing and troubling situation. We also need to do more positive things in the district. Don’t just talk about it, be about it.”

Josh Lefcowitz, 47, White Oak

Josh Lefcowitz was appointed to a seat vacated by former school board member Dan Goughnour, who was elected to the Pennsylvania House in a special election following the January death of Rep. Matt Gergely.

Lefcowitz is running on the ballot as a write-in candidate. 

The White Oak resident, who is a McKeesport graduate and certified public accountant, said he made a “conscious decision” not to run in the May primary, but changed his mind about his own candidacy after observing the school board’s efforts.

“From what I've seen in the last six months, and the things that I believe need to be done in the relatively near future, I didn't feel comfortable just fading off into the sunset and maybe coming back in two years. I felt an obligation to use the skills that I have to try to be an instrument to help, rather than just sitting on the sidelines.”

A pressing issue, Lefcowitz noted, is the “safety and security” of district buildings. 

“The most important thing is having a safe and secure learning environment. The kids can't learn if they don't feel safe,” he said. “We're doing a good job — it's, I think, way better than it was a couple years ago — but it needs to continue to improve. We need to have resources in the building to ensure that kids are going where they need to be going, and they're doing what they need to be doing. And, try to minimize the physical altercations.”

Arla Payne, 66, McKeesport

Arla Payne, 66, has been a McKeesport resident for more than 50 years. She has an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, bachelor of arts in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business administration.

She’s been a notary public for 24 years. Payne’s entire adult life has revolved around children. She is a mother of two biological sons and three adopted children, all of whom attended MASD. Payne has 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. In her 17 years as a foster parent, Payne fostered 71 children. She attends Three Rivers Metropolitan Church and is a community leader with Ward 7 Task Force.

What makes you a good candidate for the school board?

Payne: “My motto is, ‘Great Children are my Vision.’ As a school director, your behavior should be decent and in order. Despite the differences, we should be able to work together for the best interest in the community. I want to be the peacemaker; I’d like for all of us to work together.” Payne lives in ward 7, district 1. This is her first time running for school board.

There is a perception that McKeesport is a "bad place" to live. What is your response to that? How can you, as a board member, help to ensure that students are safe in school?

Payne: “I know it’s not the safest of the safe but it’s not the worst of the worst. If we can keep the students interested and get their opinions, then they can have a connection with the teachers and build a rapport. If students and teachers could work together, I think we’d be considered a great school. I think they should continue with the metal detectors and keep the no-phones policy, because phones are a distraction. In addition to security that’s already in the schools, guards should do walk-throughs. Just walk around and show their presence. And the parents have to be responsible too. Parents and teachers should be on the same page. It starts at home.”

What contributes to low test scores and grades in the district? What can the board do to help retain teachers and other faculty?

Payne: “To keep the teachers, they need to have a support system. Teachers burn out too, just like in any other profession. They are burnt out, some covering two and three positions. It would help if they had a better rapport with the parents. We have to come up with something that everyone feels comfortable with – the students, teachers and administration and the parents.”

What can the school board do right now to ensure that a situation like the Alexis Brown case doesn't happen again? What actions has the school board taken and what are the plans for future vetting?

Payne: “I don’t know what all of the qualifications are, and I know it can be hard to determine someone’s intentions. But I think a mental health evaluation would be a good place to start the vetting process. I’m hoping the school will be able to get mental health services and get in into the curriculum. A school-based therapist, even if it’s just one person to start. I also think there should be a program so students feel comfortable going to an adult. If you see something, say something. That’s something that should be emphasized because if you stop it at the head, it will never make it to the tail.”

Originally published November 03, 2025.

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