Why Bald Eagle Area School District is at the center of a debate over a political ad

Twenty-five days away from the election, Bald Eagle Area School District has found itself at the center of a dispute over a political campaign ad for the state House race in the 82nd district.

The ad from incumbent state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, features BEA school board member Jason Penland in front of the Bald Eagle Area Middle School. Penland is not identified in the ad, either by his name or as a BEA school board member.

The ad was posted Tuesday to Takac’s Facebook page, prompting Therese Hollen, Takac’s Republican challenger, to release a statement on Wednesday, calling for BEA to disavow Penland and clarify the district’s position. Takac, however, defended the ad to the CDT and both he and Penland said the school district was not involved.

But in a Facebook post, Hollen called the ad’s filming location “concerning.”

“The use of school property in a way that implies endorsement, or at the very least confuses the public, is an ethical violation that cannot be ignored,” Hollen wrote in the press release.

BEA Superintendent Christopher Santini released a statement Thursday morning saying the district was recently made aware of the ad and does not endorse any candidate.

“The district seeks to have a positive relationship with all of our elected officials and legislators, regardless of party affiliation, and we do not choose sides or endorse individuals running for office,” Santini wrote.

In a statement to the CDT, Takac said that the ad was never intended to imply the district’s endorsement.

“I am proud of the strong relationships I have built across the district and was grateful to have Mr. Penland endorse me in his capacity as a private citizen and active member of the community — not as an identified member of the BEASD school board,” Takac wrote.

Takac, who has served as the state representative for the 82nd district since 2023, wrote that he has been a lifelong advocate for fair funding, especially in rural districts like BEA.

“I hope to continue to earn the support of school board members as invested and engaged champions for public education, but have not and will never seek endorsement from the district itself,” Takac wrote.

Penland said he participated in the ad not as a member of the school board but as a private citizen and parent of the district. He said his support of Takac goes beyond politics and into the grant funding and advocacy work Takac done in Harrisburg for the district.

“I would not campaign as a school board member,” Penland said. “This was as a parent with four children who is just very concerned about the future of our schools and for the community in general.”

Penland said, to his knowledge, there is no board policy against filming on school grounds when students are off campus. Furthermore, the ad was filmed during the summer when school was not in session, he said.

Hollen also took issue with Penland’s comments at the start of the ad. In the 15-second ad, Penland says he previously campaigned for “Paul Takac’s opponent” but would be supporting Takac this time. Penland campaigned for Justin Berhrens, Takac’s opponent in the 2022 election.

“As the current challenger, I want to make it unequivocally clear: Mr. Penland has never spoken with me or anyone on my team, let alone campaigned on my behalf,” Hollen wrote. “This outright fabrication is designed to mislead voters, and I am appalled by this deceptive tactic.”

In a call with the CDT, Penland made it clear he was speaking about Berhrens in the ad and had not met Hollen.

“It was nothing against the other candidate,” Penland said. “I have never been introduced to the other candidate. This other candidate did not introduce themselves at any board meetings or make any attempts at communication, to the best of my knowledge.”

The Pennsylvania Department of State did not respond to a request for comment.