Three newcomers and one incumbent were elected Tuesday to fill four-year seats on the York City School Board.

With all precincts reporting, incumbent Democrat Beverly Atwater and Democratic challengers Sandie Walker, Gary Calhoun and Margie Orr had won the four seats.

Incumbent Barbara Krier, who was on the Republican ticket, was not re-elected.

Calhoun, 45, a youth program director for York city, had said he believed the district needed to "start back at the beginning and redefine our whole educational process."

"Our kids are falling behind," he said.

Walker, a 2001 William Penn graduate, had echoed Calhoun's views.

"At this time as a whole our children are not receiving the education they need to be successful or competitive in an environment outside of the York City School District," Walker wrote.

Orr, 64 -- a secretary who belongs to organizations including the NAACP and York County Community Against Racism and works part time for the Community Progress Council's senior program -- had also said one of her main concerns was the quality of education the district provides.

Some of its graduates are illiterate, she said.

"Looking at the children's scores . . . what's going on in the classrooms?" she said.

Two Democrats also were elected to fill the two-year unexpired terms on the board.

Tom Foust, the current board vice president who lost his re-election bid in May, and Julio Aguayo had both been appointed to the ballot.

They will

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fill the seats left open by Hiawatha Powell, who was voted off the board, and Elmira Sexton, who resigned in August.

Board members Jeanette Torres, Sam Beard and James Morgan were not up for re-election this year.

In recent months, board members have wrestled with issues such as having York City Police officers at high school football games.

The board also has been focusing on a major districtwide renovation and reorganization plan.

That plan, presented to the public Monday night by district Supt. Sharon Miller, includes shifting fifth-graders to the middle school, changing elementary-school boundaries, closing Phineas Davis Elementary and renovating McKinley and Jackson elementary schools.
Dallastown Area

In Region 1, an Independent edged out a Democrat for one of two seats.

Lauren Rock, 42, a teacher's aide for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, beat Democratic retiree Larry Wolfe, 71, by fewer than 40 votes.

Rock is a former PTO co-president for York Township Elementary and was on the steering committee for the district's new intermediate school.

"We have great teachers and great administrators," Rock said recently. "They're good at educating the whole child."

Also elected in that region was Kenneth Potter Jr., 48, who is president of Martin's Potato Chips.

In Region 2, Republican Don Jasmann, 52, bested Democrat Sue Heistand, 43.

Jasmann said he has attended the district's school board meetings for about 10 years and participated on committees, including the strategic planning committee.

Jasmann, an engineering manager, had said the district's rising taxes were a major issue.

"We have out-of-control spending," he said.

School programs should be proven beneficial before receiving funds, he said.

Jasmann also said that the district should work closely with local municipalities and that it could have saved money in the building of the new intermediate school.

And in Region 3, Margaret Ibex, a Democrat who retired from the Baltimore County, Md., public school system, beat Brian Larson, 45, an airline pilot.

Ibex had said she was concerned about the district's "high property tax" and believed the emphasis in spending should be on need over want.

She also said the new intermediate school "didn't have to be quite as expensive."

Central York

Four incumbents retained their seats: Republican Karl Peckmann and Democrats Michael Wagner, Robert Weikert and Michael Snyder.

They defeated challenger Janice Liao-Tabatabai, a Democrat.

Issues in the race included tax increases and recent building projects.

West York Area

Three incumbents retained their seats, and one of two challengers will join them on the board.

Democrat Ralph Brandt will join incumbent Republicans Robert Crouse Jr. and Alan Moose and Democrat Jayne Shepro.

Democrat Lisa Tanner received the fewest votes.
Northern York County

Republican Harry Lake Jr. beat Democrat Dallas Stahlman in Region 1.

West Shore

In Region 3, Republican Brian K. Guistwhite bested Democrat Christina L. Conley.