BELLWOOD — The Bellwood-Antis School Board is back to full strength following the Tuesday night appointment of Bryan Fatzinger to fill a vacant seat.

Fatzinger, a middle school science teacher in the State College Area School District, will occupy the seat left by Kathy Sweigert, who was elected to the board in November 2025 but resigned less than two months later citing a need to care for her daughter.

The nine Bellwood-Antis school directors are elected to serve four-year terms, although Fatzinger will only hold the position until the next board election date in November 2027, when a new, full-term member will be elected.

Four local residents submitted letters of interest to fill the position following the announcement of Sweigert’s resignation earlier this month, all of whom delivered a brief presentation to the board on their relevant qualifications.

Sheetz executive Scott Soisson described his senior managerial experience across several local businesses and boards.

Matthew Hollen, a local photographer and Bellwood-Antis High School graduate, told the board about his aspirations to become more involved in his community.

Excelsior Fire Department firefighter John Finamore explained his belief that investing in youth is the best way to improve a community.

Ultimately, the seven present members of the board voted in favor of Fatzinger, who received four votes, with Soisson narrowly missing out with three.

Fatzinger earned the nomination after telling the board about his two decades of experience as a teacher, and how his recently awarded master’s degree in educational administration from Point Park University gave him a well-informed perspective on school operations.

Fatzinger said after the meeting that he is excited to begin working with the board, describing it as “something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Tech upgrades

Director of Technology Justin Lichty asked the board to authorize him to act on a $314,000 quote from GovConnection to acquire 440 new Lenovo laptops to replace the current devices at the high school.

The district has been in the process of upgrading all student laptops across the district since 2025, with elementary, middle and high school devices replaced in staggered phases.

According to Lichty, the soaring price of RAM memory has accelerated the established timeline to replace the high school’s devices.

The latest quote Lichty solicited from GovConnection for the laptops is only valid through the end of January, with costs projected to increase over 15% or more in total over the next two months, which necessitated the last-minute request.

Solicitor Carl Beard said that the board could amend the meeting agenda to authorize Lichty to pursue the quote so the district won’t “get dinged for $30,000 by waiting two weeks.”

Board President Hope Ray agreed with district business manager Gregory Gates’ assessment that the unexpected cost may necessitate some tight budgetary maneuvering for the coming year, as the district is still in a delicate financial situation despite finally finishing with a surplus last year after many years of operating under a deficit.

With the board’s authorization, Lichty will meet with the technology and financial committees alongside district administrators to decide whether to act on the quote before the board’s next meeting in February.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.