The Gettysburg Area School District Board of Directors welcomed a returning member on Monday and learned that Adams County Technical Institute is willing to explore an idea from the community.
New Board Member
The nine-member body has been down one person since Michael Dickerson’s resignation in August. Seven constituents–Carrie Soliday, Ken Dunaway, David Jenkins, Keith Bruck, Richard Schultz, Steve Cox, and Julieta Booz–offered to fill Dickerson’s term. Bruck left the meeting as the victor.
Following interviews prior to the board meeting, four of the candidates received nominations from the elected body. Kathleen Pratt nominated Booz, Ryan Kerney put Soliday’s name on the table, Donna Harrison proposed Bruck, and David Sites recommended Cox.
The district’s solicitor said the successful candidate must receive five votes, a majority of the entire board. Member Tim Seigman was absent.
Al Moyer supported Bruck because he has a student in the district. Bruck previously served on the board from 2009-2018. Pratt noted Booz has attended almost every board meeting for two years and earned 4,000 votes in the 2025 election. Sites said he believes Cox’s business experience would benefit a board mostly comprised of educators.
Pratt, Kerney, and President Alice Broadway voted for Booz. Justine Sieg, Moyer, and Harrison voted for Bruck. Sites voted for Cox.
Since the board did not have the required five votes, they held another round with only Booz and Bruck on the motion.
Sieg, Sites, Moyer, and Harrison voted for Bruck, with Kerney and Pratt voting for Booz. Broadway was left to cast the final vote, and instead of sticking with her original choice, she recognized what it would take to reach the required five votes.
“I, too, see Keith as a strong candidate, I don’t have any issue with Keith, so I am going to go ahead, break the impasse and vote for Keith as well,” Broadway said.
Business Manager Belinda Wallen administered the Oath of Office to Bruck immediately after the decision.
ACTI
Seig told the board that Adams County Technical Institute (ACTI) is open to exploring the HACC building on Old Harrisburg Road as a new location. Sieg, who represents GASD on ACTI’s Joint Operating Committee said the board will vote on a site analysis at its next meeting.
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh,& Associates, the school’s architect, will conduct the analysis pro bono, Sieg said. ACTI will be responsible for engineering costs and is exploring if a $500,000 grant from the Adams County Commissioners could be used for that purpose, Sieg said.
Community and board members expressed support for the HACC idea after expressing concern that ACTI’s plan to purchase property at 6298 York Road for $1.7 million and a $200,000 donation to the ACTI Undesignated Endowment failed. ACTI leadership estimates building on the York Road site would cost $75 million and take up to five years to complete.
Mr Bruck seams to be a good candidate BUT again the school board does not represent the demographics of Gettysburg area school district. The board is comprised primarily of past and present educators. The board is lacking in individuals with knowledge of how to read, write and understand the contracts related to their 80+ million dollar budget and relying solely on the business manager is shirking their responsibility.
Also with 20+ retired seniors in the district that pay taxes to support the system and containing a lifetime of experience how are their tax dollars protected when budget time comes rolling around.