Twenty-year-old Parker Flamisch has been appointed to the Northampton Area School Board, becoming one of the youngest school board directors in history.
The Moore Township resident was selected by a 6–2 vote during a special board meeting on Wednesday, April 30, to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Kim Bretzik, approved earlier that month on April 14.
Flamisch, who represents Region III (Moore Township, Bath Borough and Chapman Borough), will serve the remainder of Bretzik’s term, which ends Dec. 31. He is expected to be sworn in on May 12, the same day he will attend his first meeting as an official member of the board.
“I was very happy with the outcome,” Flamisch said following his appointment. “I think the interviews really showed I am that moderate voice on the board—and that’s what I intend to be.”
As a 2023 graduate of Northampton Area High School, Flamisch has stayed closely connected to his alma mater and the district. After completing high school, where he took part in a dual enrollment program at Northampton Community College, he earned his associate degree in just one year. He is now a rising senior at East Stroudsburg University, majoring in political science with a concentration in American government.
Flamisch has been working since he was 16 and now works as a server while attending school full time.
He became interested in the workings of the school board less than a year ago, initially drawn in by news coverage and increasing community interest.
“The school board made the papers a lot, and I started taking notice of that and some of the comments that school board members made,” he said.
Flamisch began attending meetings in September and hasn’t missed one since, gradually becoming more involved, asking questions during public comment and building relationships within the district.
“As someone who just graduated from the district and is studying government, I find how these systems function really interesting,” he said. “That’s what got me more actively involved.”
Flamisch’s growing involvement in local governance and his vocal presence at meetings led some in the community to encourage him to run for the open school board seat. His decision to apply came from a sense of civic duty and a belief that he could contribute a much-needed voice of moderation to the board’s deliberations.
“I thought that I could be the kind of voice the board needed—a younger look at things, a more reasonable look at things, and a more moderate viewpoint is what I bring to the table,” he said.
During the April 30 meeting, Flamisch was one of four candidates interviewed for the position. Other applicants included David Gogel, Gerald Bretzik and Jamie Shankweiler Marchiano. The board questioned each applicant with 16 questions covering constitutional principles, the importance of maintaining school facilities, the legality of carrying weapons on school property and the district’s debt and budgeting challenges.
Marchiano’s nomination failed in a 5–3 vote before Flamisch was nominated and approved in a 6–2 decision, with board members Kristin Soldridge and Brian McCulloch voting against him.
Flamisch acknowledges the weight of his age and the responsibility that comes with representing an entire region. However, regardless of his age, Flamisch believes his presence offers the board a crucial perspective—one informed by his recent experience as a student.
“I know a lot of people tell me they don’t bring their kids to the meetings because of how things get,” he said. “My reaction to that is: I want to bring the board back to a place where parents can bring their kids to the meetings again. The students of the district should be able to attend these school board meetings.”
Flamisch’s appeal for calm and reasoned discourse resonated with both board members and community members alike. While he admits not everyone agrees with his views, he has been encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive and supportive response he has received since being appointed.
“A lot of the feedback I’ve gotten from people about the appointment specifically was very congratulatory,” he said. “People are willing to give me a shot, even though they may not agree with everything I say. That’s important because now they can see me as more than just a 20-year-old running for office—they can actually see me as a school board member and judge me based on what I do.”
Flamisch is clear about the kind of school board director he intends to be—someone who values collaboration and seeks solutions that benefit the community as a whole.
“I really appreciate the people who, even though they disagree with me, are still giving me a shot and hearing me out,” he said. “We can find some common ground in the middle that I think can lead to some common-sense solutions that the board may have been overlooking recently.”
Chief among his priorities is the contentious issue of Moore Elementary School. Debate has swirled around whether the school should remain open, be rebuilt, renovated and/or closed due to cost concerns. Flamisch hopes to help navigate toward a solution that honors both fiscal responsibility and educational needs.
“I don’t want to see Moore Elementary closed,” he said. “But I also can’t consciously vote for a plan that would cause a 4% tax increase every year for the next four years. There are a lot of older folks in Moore Township, and that kind of tax increase would almost certainly price them out of their homes.”
Instead, Flamisch proposes a temporary closure while the district stabilizes financially, with the goal of reopening and renovating the building in the future.
“Moore will be necessary with the expanding district and more homes being built,” he said. “We just need to be smart about how we get there.”
His position reflects his broader philosophy: balancing the needs of students, taxpayers and the district’s long-term planning.
“In my opinion, everything that’s done in the school district should be in the benefit of the students,” he said.
Looking ahead, Flamisch hopes to serve on both the Facilities Committee and the Policy Committee, which he sees as vital to shaping the future of the district.
“People underestimate just how important facilities are to equal education,” he said. “And policy is the framework that guides everything the district and the board does. I’d really like to have a role in those decisions.”
Flamisch also believes his focus on moderation and long-term planning can help de-escalate tensions and bring greater cohesion to the board.
Flamisch’s motivation is rooted in a deep appreciation for the district and community that raised him.
“I want to serve on the school board and make a difference in the community that gave so much to me,” he said.
With just over seven months left in his current term, Flamisch is ready to get to work as he pledges to provide a youthful, moderate voice that aims to find common ground alongside fellow board members, while ensuring that students are prioritized every step of the way.
