Krista Kantner will be the newest member of the Blue Mountain school board.
On Thursday, Schuylkill County Judge Christina Hale handed down an order appointing Kantner to the vacancy on the board created by the Aug. 5 resignation of Roy Heim.
Kantner was one of three candidates who petitioned Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas to fill the vacancy after the remaining eight board members at Blue Mountain School District failed to come to a consensus on a replacement for Heim.
Kantner, Kim Breiner, and Mary Jo Moss each made their pitch before Hale in Courtroom 5 at Schuylkill County Courthouse on Wednesday morning.
By being selected for the vacancy, Kantner will serve on the board until December 2027, after which a special election will be held to fill the remainder of Heim’s unexpired term, which ends in 2029. Five other board seats will be on the 2027 ballot for Blue Mountain school board.
In a conversation with Coal Region Canary on Thursday, Kantner’s attorney, Sud Patel, said, “It’s unfortunate that the district got the point where the court had to be involved. There were three exceptional candidates. Judge Hale could not have made a wrong decision.”
Of his client, Patel said Kantner brings more than 30 years of experience at Blue Mountain School District as an educator and more as an involved resident. He said it’s his belief that Kantner can help “end the gridlock” that’s existed among the eight other board members since Heim’s departure this summer.
“I really want to see Blue Mountain move forward. I think Krista is the right person,” he said.
Patel also encouraged Breiner and Moss to run for board seats in 2027. He said a combination of his client and the other two candidates “can do nothing but help the district.”
He also believes that his client was the right choice among the three candidates because of “unique perspectives” she can bring to board decisions from her roles as a teacher and former president of the teachers’ union.
“Nobody knows better the impact of board decisions and state decisions than someone with 30-plus years inside the buildings,” Patel said.
He also offered praise to Hale for presiding over the rare hearing in which the court is asked to fill a vacancy on a school board. Patel said Hale asked “very pointed questions” that allowed each candidate to make points for her to consider before making the final decision.
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