Pleasant Valley School District’s reorganization meeting was more than just selecting a new president and welcoming new school board members. For the parents, many said they felt like it was a new beginning.

“I believe that this board really does want to hear our voices and make this a more transparent organization. I believe that with all the negatives there, we should really highlight the positive changes that are going to begin to happen within the community and the district,” said Alice Wheelis, a parent from Ross Township.

School board Director Susan Kresge was selected as the president. Kresge served as president prior to Donna Yozwiak, who was the board’s most recent president. Kresge also has 24 years of service on the school board.

School board Director Laura Jecker was selected as vice president and is beginning her second term on the board. Jecker had been the treasurer, but she decided to step down from the role since she was selected for the new position. She nominated newly elected Director Diane Serfass to step in as treasurer, and the board approved.

Also newly elected to the board and present for their first meeting as directors were Melanie Zipp and Michael Galler. Zipp agreed to be the board’s liaison to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Galler agreed to be Pleasant Valley’s representative on the board for Colonial Intermediate Unit 20.

The new superintendent, James Konrad, Ph.D., was also on hand for the meeting, stepping into the job a month sooner than originally announced.

“I’m glad to be a part of this team. I look forward to working with everybody,” Konrad said. “We are going to do some good things here.”

In a statement, Wheelis also said she welcomes the new Superintendent, the new school board directors, and congratulates Kresge for being selected as the board’s president.

“Last night at our board meeting, our community experienced such a different atmosphere. We sat up close to the stage and we were really able to see the board members and feel the emotions in which they were feeling when we shared our views and opinions during open comment. Our community was heartfelt; they shared experiences that they needed the board to hear and showed that the kids are the most important God-given treasures of our lives,” she said.

Wheelis said she was impressed that the school board stayed after the meeting to talk to the community members and explain upcoming changes.

“We as a community have been asking for this for so long and it took less than two weeks for an entire community to feel accepted and heard. We did not have board members talking to each other or falling asleep during the meeting, but we had members who actually spoke to us and enforced that they heard our concerns,” Wheelis said.

“I am looking forward to this bright new future and I cannot wait to see the positive changes. As Dr. Konrad and School Board President Sue Kresge said these changes are going to take time and they need the community to understand that, but to trust them that they do want to make these positive changes and that we will work together as administrators and a community to make it happen together. This truly was a special experience and I hope that the meetings continue to embrace this new atmosphere and we will become great once more.”

School board Director Norman Burger said during the meeting, “I think we have a chance for a new page. We got a new superintendent, so things are starting to brighten up.”

Kresge said she echoes Burger’s sentiments and looks forward to working together as a team with sincere communication.

“We need to communicate and communicate with the public,” she said.