Prior school board, council candidates to appear on ballot
At least three new faces will join the North Penn School Board in 2026, and two familiar names will be on the Republican ballot.
The “North Penn United” team of Jeff Eshleman, Michael Jowder, Yanni Lambros and Thomas Moyer are each running for four-year terms on the school board. Jowder ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board in 2023 and Lambros has previously run for a seat on Lansdale borough council in 2021 and 2023.
They’ll face off against incumbent Democrat Al Roesch, joined on the “North Penn Neighbors for Progress” team by newcomers Christine Coyne, Koh Chiba and Ken Keiser. Democrats Tina Stoll, Christian Fusco and Jonathan Kassa, all first elected with Roesch in 2017 and reelected in 2021, will not be on the ballot this year.
Seven of the eight candidates have cross-filed and will appear on both Democratic and Republican ballots in the May 20 primary; Jowder will appear on only the Republican ballot, according to election information provided by Montgomery County. The top four vote totals on each side of the ballot will then face off in the Nov. 4 general election.
All eight candidates were sent the same questions; below are the answers from the North Penn United candidates, and answers from the North Penn Neighbors for Progress candidates will appear separately.
Eshleman
Jeff Eshleman (Submitted photo)Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I am a resident of the North Penn School District and I care about what is best for our public schools and what is best for our community. I have nearly 40 years experience in education with nearly 35 in public education. I have been an elementary teacher and a librarian on the elementary and secondary level and I have given my heart to the North Penn School District for 26 years.
I am the only candidate in either party who has been an employee of the district. I am aware of the needs of the staff and teachers first hand. I have been on the inside. I know where there are problems and I know where improvements can be made.
What would your main goals or priorities be as a school board member?
To provide a safe supportive environment with a strong emphasis on academics with the support of administration and staff to provide the resources needed for the best educational outcome.
Cuts to state and federal funding could impact school district budgets. How do you see and approach discussions about the local tax burden?
We don’t know that there will be cuts to local school districts. Pursuing state and federal grants should be considered. The referendum in January 2024 to exceed the Act 1 index was defeated by the North Penn community. That seems to be a clear indication that the taxpayers feel overburdened and desire that the school district be fiscally responsible as they move forward to update facilities in the district.
What do you see as the biggest issues the board must address in the next four years?
I believe updating facilities will be the most important issue. My approach to dealing with these updates is answered in the next question.
Renovations to North Penn High School are scheduled to start this summer and run into the 2030s.What are your thoughts on that project, and are there any changes or revisions you would make before the next phase is finalized?
The high school needs updating to ensure a safe and functional learning environment for our students. The defeat of the January 2024 referendum to exceed the Act 1 index indicates that the community desires financial restraint.
I believe careful planning should be made regarding project costs to identify where the greatest needs lie and that the district do everything possible to stay within budgeted costs. I believe community input should also be allowed to ensure the facility reflects the needs of the students, as the community sees them.
Finally, I believe exploring the possibility of state and federal grants to help pay for renovations. I’d advocate for regular, detailed budget updates to rebuild trust with taxpayers. Our students deserve a high-quality facility, delivered responsibly, reflecting the community’s desire for financial accountability.
Your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
None provided
Jowder
Michael Jowder (Submitted photo)Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I’ve lived in Upper Gwynedd for over 50 years and am proud to have raised my family in the North Penn School District. I’m now retired and a part-time small business owner, with three children who graduated from North Penn and all still living in the district. I have one grandson who graduated from North Penn and four, soon to be five, grandchildren currently attending district schools.
While I don’t have a political background, I bring a lifetime of common-sense experience and a strong understanding of our community’s needs. I’m running for school board to be a voice for taxpayers and families, especially seniors facing rising costs. My focus is on what matters most: academic excellence, student safety, fiscal responsibility, and respect for teachers. We must spend responsibly, support strong academics, and ensure our schools are places where every child feels safe, supported, and ready to succeed.
What would your main goals or priorities be as a school board member?
As a school board member, my top priorities are student safety, academic excellence, and fiscal responsibility. I will support a focused learning environment that emphasizes core subjects and prepares students for success.
Strengthening school safety is essential, and I’ll work to ensure teachers have the resources and meaningful professional development they need. I also believe in promoting stronger collaboration between educators and school leadership. We need to support our teachers and it starts with listening.
Addressing students’ mental health through targeted, effective programs is equally critical. I will advocate for transparent budgeting to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently, without placing added burdens on our community. Lastly, I’ll work to strengthen parental and community involvement, because when families and schools are connected, students thrive.
Cuts to state and federal funding could impact school district budgets. How do you see and approach discussions about the local tax burden?
While this is a hypothetical question, the reality is that North Penn has leaned on local taxpayers year after year. Over the last five years, annual tax increases of 3.0 to 4.5 percent have placed a growing burden on our community. The 2024–25 4.49 percent tax hike is largest in over two decades. Federal funds are tied to specific programs, if cuts arise, I would first review how those funds are currently being used and whether those programs are delivering meaningful results.
I would approach discussions with transparency, advocate for public audits, and protect priorities like teacher resources, special education, and student safety. I’ll alsopush for competitive bidding to maximum value on large projects like the high school renovations. Local taxpayers should not be the district’s default funding source. We must involve the community and pursue solutions that maintain quality without overburdening families.
What do you see as the biggest issues the board must address in the next four years?
The board must address rising costs, student achievement, and school safety with urgency and accountability. Property taxes continue to climb, and families, especially seniors, simply can’t afford it. We need fiscally responsible planning, not year-after-year increases.
At the same time, the district must refocus on academic performance, ensuring students are meeting benchmarks and prepared for life after graduation. School safety remains a top concern, and we must invest in commonsense measures that protect students and staff. Additionally, with the high school renovation underway, the board must closely monitor spending to avoid overruns and waste.
Finally, strengthening communication with parents and the community is essential. Decisions should reflect the input of those who live, work, and raise families here.
Renovations to North Penn High School are scheduled to start this summer and run into the 2030s. What are your thoughts on that project, and are there any changes or revisions you would make before the next phase is finalized?
As a school board candidate, I support modernizing North Penn High School, but I’m deeply concerned that the renovation budget first presented at $236 million, has already exceeded $259 million, despite voters rejecting the original $403 million plan. This is the largest local expense in decades, and it requires sharp oversight. Phase one alone costs $33.3 million, raising serious questions about planning and accountability.
We need an independent audit, regular budget updates, and public forums to ensure community priorities, like accessibility and updated infrastructure to take precedence over costly add-ons. Just as important, we must recognize that many other schools across the district also need upgrades.
I will push for a long-term, strategic facilities plan to address infrastructure needs district-wide, not just at the high school. Our students deserve safe, modern schools, but we must deliver them with fiscal responsibility and a clear plan for all.
Your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
Facebook: Jowder 4 North Penn
Website: www.northpennunited.com
Lambros
Yanni Lambros (Submitted photo)Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
As a local business owner, licensed general contractor, and Realtor, I bring practical leadership, financial expertise, and innovative problem-solving to the school board.
I’m also a proud North Penn graduate who has lived in the district since childhood and I am deeply committed to our community’s future. My entrepreneurial background equips me to manage budgets effectively, promote transparency, and foster collaboration. I am ready to bring a fresh perspective to support North Penn’s continued growth.
What would your main goals or priorities be as a school board member?
As a school board member, my main priorities would be to restore transparency, fairness, safety, and accountability to the North Penn School District. I believe the current board has struggled with transparency on various issues, and I will work to release more information to parents and the public to rebuild trust.
Fairness means maintaining merit-based systems for education, sports, and hiring practices, ensuring every student and staff member is judged on their abilities. Safety is a critical concern, and I will push for common-sense policies by collaborating with teachers and security professionals. This includes enforcing biology-based policies for sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms to protect all students, a practical approach supported by many parents, teachers, and students in our district.
Additionally, I want to keep politics out of schools, regardless of party, so our classrooms remain places for learning, growth, and fun, not political agendas. My goal is to create a transparent, fair, and safe environment where every student can succeed.
Cuts to state and federal funding could impact school district budgets. How do you see and approach discussions about the local tax burden?
State and federal funding only make up a small portion of North Penn’s annual budget. From what I understand, those funds would typically be withheld only if a district refuses to comply with laws or official guidance. I believe schools should follow that guidance unless it crosses ethical lines or goes to an extreme.
The local tax burden is already high, and our residents need room to breathe. Despite increased funding over the years, have we seen a true rise in academic performance or district rankings? Money alone doesn’t fix problems—how it’s used matters.
Without clear goals and accountability, spending becomes wasteful. We need responsible budgeting that delivers real results, not illusions pushed by a board that’s out of touch with the issues affecting our students, staff, and taxpayers.
What do you see as the biggest issues the board must address in the next four years?
Over the next four years the board must prioritize several critical issues to meet community expectations and improve our schools. The community deserves open and clearcommunication. The most important responsibilities of the school board will be addressing long-standing concerns around transparency, safety, and accountability.
School safety and security must be approached with common sense and collaboration within the community. Equally important is improving how we support children with special needs. The board must adopt more empathetic, transparent procedures to ensure these students receive the resources they deserve.
Financial oversight is another major issue. More comprehensive and publicly accessible audits should be conducted, especially as taxes continue to rise.
Finally, the board should enhance the responsible use of technology in education. With proper oversight, we can leverage existing tools to better prepare students for the future, equipping them with the skills and discipline to use technology effectively and ethically.
Renovations to North Penn High School are scheduled to start this summer and run into the 2030s. What are your thoughts on that project, and are there any changes or revisions you would make before the next phase is finalized?
I support upgrades and modernizations to North Penn High School if they’re done responsibly and cost-effectively. Before the next phase moves forward, I’d like to see a fullbreakdown of bids and expenses to ensure we’re choosing the most reasonable and efficient path.
Taxpayer dollars should not be spent wildly without caution. I want to see the maximum value delivered at the fairest, most logical cost and not wasteful spending because it’s your money as well as all tax paying residents. North Penn deserves high standards at a fair price, not low standards at a high price.
Your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
None provided.
Moyer
Thomas Moyer (Submitted photo)Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I currently work as a transportation dispatcher in a union environment, where I serve as a bridge between management and labor. I take pride in fostering communication and building solutions that help everyone succeed. I would use this same approach to support our teachers, staff, and students.
Outside of work, I volunteer with a local youth organization and serve as the musical director for a community barbershop chorus, leading individuals with different perspectives toward shared goals.
Earlier in life, I earned the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout, a distinction that reflects my commitment to leadership, service, and integrity. Those values continue to guide me today. As a school board candidate, I’m ready to listen, collaborate, and help shape a learning environment where every student can thrive.
What would your main goals or priorities be as a school board member?
We have all read headlines from great to events maybe we never thought we would read about our children. As a graduate of North Penn, I fondly remember reading about students who have achieved academic success as well as on and off the sports field.
A priority for me is striving for every student to have academic success while feeling valued in their school community. I was involved in many activities with the school music program while my peers found success in sports or clubs at the school. Encouraging this would keep our students busy to keep them in positive headlines instead of ones we don’t want any community to have to read.
Cuts to state and federal funding could impact school district budgets. How do you see and approach discussions about the local tax burden?
I think taxes need to be evaluated on an annual basis. Fiscal responsibility is important. We should be maximizing the available grants while also ensuring the transparency of how money is being spent throughout the district. No one wants wasteful spending and also no one wants so much to be cut that it leads to the failure of any student.
Everyone in our community feels the inflation and its important that should a tax increase be necessary it is only as much as is needed for a responsible balanced budget. We do have an aging infrastructure that we must address and we need to address it as tactfully as possible to ensure longevity to avoid having new construction in the future.
What do you see as the biggest issues the board must address in the next four years?
The largest issues facing the board is the changing economical environment, addressing the mental health crisis of our students, and delivering the community the best education for our students. These are often so conflicted and require deep thought, debate, and transparency to solve.
Just like the community I am asking to vote for me, I want each of the community members to be heard when solving these three issues. I am just like each of you burdened by the taxes as well. This district however, is something we all benefit from and we all need to pour or best efforts into to ensure longevity in student success and infrastructure.
Renovations to North Penn High School are scheduled to start this summer and run into the 2030s.What are your thoughts on that project, and are there any changes or revisions you would make before the next phase is finalized?
Renovations are needed in the aging infrastructure of our district. Modernizing the high school is important to remain competitive in the changing world we live in. With a very expensive and long project ahead it is necessary to keep records of all of the documents and ensure the community is buying the school needed for the future at the best price.
These records need to be as transparent as possible to ensure zero conflicts of interest in procurement processes and in any change orders. Change orders in times of uncertainty are costly. I would not recommend for any specific changes to the plans as much as I would push for an audit to ensure a responsible bidding process and make secure plans to avoid any changes that would push the project further than the already exceeded budget.
Your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
None provided
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