Plum Borough School Board appoints Purcell to fill Adams seat after tied ballots

The Plum Borough School District Board of Directors voted 5-3 on April 16 to appoint Amy Purcell to fill the board seat vacated by Devin Adams, whose term runs through Dec. 1, 2025.

The appointment followed multiple rounds of roll-call voting at a special board meeting that produced repeated 4-4 splits before the final motion to appoint Purcell carried. The board debated voting procedure during the meeting and reviewed how abstentions would affect the threshold needed for appointment.

Board President Dr. Anderson opened the discussion by reading Resolution 2025-4-16-1, which formally placed the appointment on the special meeting agenda, and explained how votes and abstentions would determine whether a candidate needed five votes (if all eight board members vote) or four votes (if at least one member abstains). Solicitor Mr. Dice confirmed the vote thresholds cited by the board.

The board initially conducted a first round in which three candidates — Purcell, Amy Wetmore and Tom Feeney — were given the opportunity to receive members’ preferred names in a rotating alphabetical roll call. That round yielded three votes for Wetmore, four for Purcell and one for Feeney, eliminating Feeney from the head-to-head runoff and producing later 4-4 ties on subsequent head-to-head tallies between Purcell and Wetmore.

After the board exhausted multiple balloting formats and considered returning the appointment to the county, a motion was made and seconded to vote specifically on Purcell. A final roll call for Purcell resulted in five votes in favor and three opposed. The clerk recorded the outcome as “yes in favor of Miss Purcell, 3 opposed” and the board chair announced that the motion passed.

The board discussed logistics following the appointment. Clerk Miss Mackerel said the appointee has 10 days to take the oath of office with the magistrate, and Superintendent Dr. Walsh (not present) asked that the district provide an orientation meeting for the new director before the next regular meeting. The board president said the district would offer whichever swearing-in format the appointee prefers — in the magistrate’s office or at the next voting meeting.

Board members explained reasons for their votes during the discussion phase rather than in a formal recorded floor statement tied to the final roll call. Several members who supported Purcell said they favored a candidate who could step in quickly on ongoing projects and committees; other members cited experience and prior board service when arguing for Amy Wetmore. One member said he would not appoint a candidate whose past public comments demonstrated what he considered poor judgment.

The board’s action completes the resolution required to keep the appointment inside the district’s 30-day window for selecting a replacement; the clerk will record the official paperwork and Purcell must complete the oath within 10 days to be certified for board service.

The board scheduled its next regular voting meeting for Tuesday, April 22, when the newly appointed director may attend after being sworn in.