The first installment of our series of interviews with school director candidates across the state.

Paul E. Morse, Jr. is running for school director in the Abington School District in Montgomery County. He is a registered Republican and a retired business owner and electrical engineer.

Why are you running for school board?

“To better serve the students and parents of the Abington School District, to restore the quality of education for which Abington was well known, and to provide an ear from where all residents, students, and parents can get an answer to a question during a school board meeting.”

What are the most important issues facing your district? 

“Providing a safe learning environment is paramount for our students and teachers. Our district needs to get back to the basics of teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic and the extensions of these courses. We need to focus on technology so that all our students are competent with all types of technology and the application of technology.”

What is your professional background and experience?

“I am a retired business owner after 30 years in business. Throughout my life, I have volunteered on a number of boards. I served as the former president of the Abington School Board for ten years and as the chairman of the board for the Abington Art Center for four years.

“I currently serve on seven different boards, including the Foundation for Abington School District. My family and I have lived in the Abington community for over 50 years and my daughters and grandchildren either graduated from or are attending Abington schools. I earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from Temple University.

What skills would you bring to the Board?

• “Problem solving skills from my many years of business.
• “Team leadership skills from the many Boards on which I have served.
• “Knowledge of the community, having lived in Abington for over 50 years.
• “Knowledge of the district through the family members involved and my previous Board experience.
• “Most importantly, the ability to listen to the students and parents and to provide a forum where the community can speak out and be heard and not ignored as they are now.”

Have you run for political office and been politically active?

“Yes. I was elected to the Abington Government Study Commission.”

Are you running with other candidates?

“Yes. There are five of us on the ballot in November. You can learn more about my campaign on my Facebook page.”

What is the most important role of the school board in your opinion?

“Hire, motivate, and direct the superintendent, and establish a budget for the district that reflects a quality education while taking into account the Abington residences and property taxes and neither wasting money nor spending needlessly.”

We contacted the Democratic and Republican committees in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties and asked them to share the questions with their school director candidates. Broad + Liberty will post the responses throughout the summer to assist voters in learning about the candidates running in their district. The series is open to any school director on the ballot in November. Please contact barosica@broadandliberty.com for more information.

Broad + Liberty is a nonprofit media endeavor dedicated to sharing voices and stories that are shut out of other media outlets. @BroadAndLiberty