Holly Hopkins

BELLEFONTE — The Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors maintained continuity in its leadership during its reorganization meeting this week, reelecting Jon Guizar as president, elevating Nate Campbell to vice president and appointing Holly Hopkins to fill a board vacancy.

Guizar and Campbell will serve as president and vice president through 2026, while Hopkins will hold her board seat through December 2027.

The school board’s back-to-back reorganization and regular meetings opened with the swearing-in of members elected in November. Incumbents Jon Guizar, Nate Campbell and Kristin Lyons began new terms, along with newly elected school board member Joe Yech, who fills the seat previously held by Jack Bechdel.

Immediately following the swearing-in, the board opened nominations and voted for president. Guizar, who was appointed in 2016 and has served multiple terms in the role, was reelected with all but one vote. Timothy Kessling cast the lone dissent, voicing support instead for Kimberly Weaver.

The board also selected a new vice president to replace outgoing VP Kimberly Weaver. Nate Campbell, who was appointed to the board in 2021 to complete the term of a resigning board member, secured the majority of votes. Timothy Kessling received two votes, including his own and one from Board Member Jennifer Barnhart.

The board also filled several additional roles, reappointing Jennifer Barnhart as its representative to Central Intermediate Unit 10; naming district Director of Fiscal Affairs Ken Bean as its Tax Collection Committee representative, with board member Donna Smith serving as alternate; and selecting Guizar and Campbell as trustees to the Central Pennsylvania School Employee Benefit Trust.

The board turned focus to filling its vacancy, interviewing two candidates for the open seat. The position opened Nov. 17 after Patrick Buck resigned, citing “fundamental differences” with colleagues. His resignation was formally accepted Tuesday.

Guizar thanked Buck for his service, noting, “It’s not easy — it requires a lot of volunteer time — so I’d just like to express my appreciation for that.”

The two candidates vying for the board vacancy, set to run through Dec. 2, 2027, were Adam Rawding, a retired Penn State police officer, small business owner and Air Force veteran, and Holly Hopkins, a local historian, child advocate and dental hygienist. Hopkins was previously appointed to the board in June to complete Jack Bechdel’s term but lost her election bid for the seat to Joe Yech in November.

Hopkins said she hoped to continue serving the community: “I feel I am an asset to this board because I am immersed in my community and dedicated to the families, and I would love to continue to do that — be a voice for them.”

Board members expressed appreciation to both Rawding and Hopkins for their applications, but the vote ultimately brought Hopkins back onto the board, 7-1.

Separately, the board approved its 2026 meeting schedule. All meetings will be held Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the Bellefonte Area Middle School cafeteria unless otherwise noted.

The board plans to meet Jan. 6, Jan. 20, Feb. 3, Feb. 18 (Wednesday at CPI), March 3, March 17, April 7, April 21, May 12, May 26, June 16, June 30, July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 1, Sept. 15, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Nov. 4 (Wednesday), Nov. 17 and Dec. 1.