In Southern Lehigh School District, seven candidates are seeking ballot spots for four seats on the school board on May 20.
The race features three Republicans whose names will appear on the GOP ballot only: incumbents Stephen Maund and Christopher Wayock along with Paul Deebel, who ran unsuccessfully in 2021 and 2023.
Four Democrats have cross-filed in the primary – Kimberly Jaramillo, Luis Melecio, Josh Rager and Chris Sykora and will appear on both ballots. They have been endorsed by Southern Lehigh Community Partners, a political action committee that endorsed the five winners of the 2023 race. The Pennsylvania Education Association’s political action committee PACE has also endorsed them.
James Pica, a Republican who was an unsuccessful 2023 candidate, was removed from the 2025 ballot over his nomination papers.
Only Democrats and Republicans can vote for their respective party candidates in primaries. The school board seats have four-year terms.
The election comes as Superintendent Michael Mahon has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of comments made by board President Emily Gehman at the Feb. 24 meeting.
“Our superintendent has taken deliberate action to divide us and keep us in turmoil,” she said during a lengthy commentary.
Mahon took exception to Gehman’s comments. “I am proud of the way I do my work. I plan to continue to do it as I have,” he said. “I would encourage the board to speak with one voice together with me as your superintendent … to the extent there are problems, work through them.”
Gehman’s comments have drawn criticism from Wayock and Deebel. Melecio has defended Gehman.
The discord is reminiscent of the 2021 and 2023 school board races in Southern Lehigh.
In 2021, a slate of four Republicans, backed by local and outside PAC money, swept the race on a platform that resonated with parents frustrated over covid-related school closings, mandated masking and learning loss. They were Wayock, Maund, Mary Joy Reinartz and Nicole King.
In 2023, the race was dominated by a pledge signed by candidates who called themselves “True Republicans.” Members, including Deebel, vowed to eliminate “woke politics” from classroom lessons.
They lost to a slate that included Gehman, Eric Boyer, Timothy Kearney and Candi Kruse, all Republicans. Melissa Torba, the lone Democrat on the ballot, also won.
Last year, the school board passed a $76 million budget that kept the tax rate at 17.25 mills.
In November, the board passed a resolution to accept Act 1’s 4% limit on any tax hikes for 2025-26.
Here is a look at the candidates. Information was obtained through campaign websites, Facebook pages, LinkedIn sites, newspaper articles, board meeting minutes and videos and other sources.
Paul Deebel – Republican, GOP ballot only
Deebel is a married father of two district students who is making his third run for school board. He has a chemical engineering degree from Bucknell University and is a sales manager for TE Connectivity. “I will serve in the best interest of all stakeholders, and I will hold my fellow board members to account,” he said.
On Facebook, he has criticized Gehman, saying her remarks about Mahon “were quite unprofessional and are proving to be detrimental to our community.” He said Gehman and “her minions” are micromanaging the administration and he is worried the district will lose Mahon.
On Facebook, Deebel noted that the slate of Democrats is endorsed by Southern Lehigh Community Partners, which supported Gehman’s slate in 2023. “We do not need more of the same. … We need independent voices to keep one contingent from taking over the entire board,” he wrote.
Kimberly Jaramillo – Democrat, cross-filed
Jaramillo is a physician at St. Luke’s University Health Network, specializing in pathology. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Kansas and a doctor of osteopathic medicine from DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. The married mother of two is making her first run for school board.
Her priorities include ensuring students have access to a high-quality education and promoting a safe and supportive environment for all students. She said mental health resources and anti-bullying initiatives will be at the forefront of her agenda. “I believe in transparent decision-making and want to make sure every voice is heard,” she said. She wants to ensure tax dollars “are being used efficiently to provide the best educational experience for our children while being mindful of the community’s financial needs.”
Jaramillo said she doesn’t think politics have a place on the school board. “As a pathologist, my job is to diagnose disease with precision and compassion — without ever considering a patient’s political beliefs, income, or zip code,” she said on Facebook.
Stephen Maund – incumbent Republican, GOP ballot only
Maund is president & CEO at Demco Automation in Quakertown. He has an engineering degree from Temple University. Maud is married and has two children who graduated from the district. He is seeking his second term on the board, having been elected on the slate with Waycock, King and Reinartz. He serves as board treasurer.
“We've gotten a lot accomplished over the past four years and there is more to do,” he said on his campaign website. “We’ll continue our hard work in updating curriculum, maintaining high-caliber teachers and staff, and upgrading facilities,” he said.
“I work with all stakeholders to maximize our potential for success,’” he said, adding that he wants to continue taking a “practical, common sense approach to budgeting” with a focus on keeping taxes at current levels.
Luis Melecio – Democrat, cross-filed
Melecio is an electrician with the United Steelworkers who has an associates degree in labor studies. He serves on a local safety committee to ensure compliance with standards and procedures. Melecio is married and has a son. He began learning his trade at his high school's vocational program, became an apprentice and went to night school. He said he wants to use his experience to make sure schools provide the education, tools and opportunities to all students. “By listening to our community and making transparent, fact-based decisions, we can help all students thrive,” he said.
At the Feb. 24 school board meeting, Melecio spoke in support of Gehman. Instead of the school board focusing on Gehman, he said, “Some better uses of time could be educating the public on how potential state and federal budget changes are going to impact our district.”
Josh Rager – Democrat, cross-filed
Rager is a senior business development executive at Trinity Products in Bucks County. He earned a business degree from Washington & Jefferson University in 2000. He moved to the district three years ago with his wife and daughter and is making his first bid for school board. “I want this district to be a district where the teachers are proud to teach, the students brag about going to/graduating from Southern Lehigh, and the community is involved integrally with the district's success,” he said on his Facebook page.
His priorities are excellence in education, fiscal responsibility, safety, inclusion and transparency. Rager believes he has the experience for the role. “Over the course of my career, I have had to manage not only the sales of steel, but work with contractors, look at the best values, managing customers and working with vendors. It is important to have excellent working relationships with people,” he said. When his wife taught school, he helped with classroom presentations, chaperoned events, and participated in fundraisers. He now helps with his daughter’s school fundraisers. He said the experience has given him insight into what the district is looking for in a school board member.
Chris Sykora – Democrat, cross-filed
Sykora, a mechanical engineer with Chart Industries, earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State in 2007 and has an engineering leadership certificate from Cornell University. He took a three-month break from his career in 2019 to be a substitute teacher in the Bethlehem Area School District. He and his wife have a son. This is his first run for school board. “My experiences as an engineer, a teacher, a coach, and a community member have shaped my perspective on the importance of education,” he said on his campaign website.
He said he wants to focus on education, not politics. “Our school board’s job is to make sure students succeed — not to fight culture wars,” he said. He supports full-day kindergarten, saying Southern Lehigh still doesn’t offer it.
Christopher Wayock – incumbent Republican, GOP ballot only
Waycock is a physician at St. Luke’s University Health Network who specializes in maternal and fetal medicine. He was elected in 2021. Before joining the board, he was an outspoken critic of the district’s Covid pandemic policies, which he highlights on his campaign website. In 2021, he proposed a modified quarantine policy that was adopted by the board.
In running again, he said he wants to continue his record of keeping taxes low and fears the current board majority will want a tax hike. He wants to ensure independence from the teachers union, “focusing on the needs of taxpayers and students rather than union agendas.” He said he will be a champion for parents and will ensure transparency in curriculum and decision-making.
Waycock has criticized the board majority under Gehman, saying the board prioritizes liberal policies and the teachers union. He said he believes Gehman is trying to push Mahon out.
“Mahon, now in his fourth year, has worked to address community concerns like space constraints and the desire for full-day kindergarten, even as the board debates these issues. Yet Gehman’s efforts to micromanage the district, including controlling the flow of information to the board, stifle collaboration and hinder effective decision-making,” he said.
Gehman, asked to respond to comments critical of her, said via email: “School boards need to collaborate with teachers to provide quality education. It’s a shame Chris views our teachers as enemies rather than partners. But while he is busy making divisive statements and personal attacks, I will continue working to protect the stability and integrity of Southern Lehigh.
“The full board placed Dr. Michael Mahon on administrative leave. I stand by statements I’ve previously made about Superintendent Mahon and have no other comment at this time.
“I am proud of the progress we’ve made in recent months on full-day K, curriculum and ed-tech, and look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members however is needed to move our district forward.”