Photo provided to the Times Observer John Wortman has announced his candidacy for a Region I seat on the Warren County School Board.

John Wortman has announced his candidacy for a Region I seat on the Warren County School Board.

In making the announcement, Wortman, who currently serves on the Warren City Council, said he has been informed that Arthur Stewart is not seeking reelection.

Region I includes the City of Warren, Elk Township and Glade Township.

Wortman was raised in Warren, graduating from WAHS in 2012. He attended Penn State majoring in secondary social studies and has been a teacher, first in North Carolina and since at West Forest in the Forest Area School District.

“I am running for the WCSD Board to ensure that young people growing up in our community today have the same educational opportunities that my grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends had,” Wortman said. “Education is not a partisan issue. It is about making our school system the best it can possibly be.”

Wortman said he will continue to serve on the Warren City Council until “either the expiration of my term or if given the privilege, the beginning of my term on the school board.”

He added that his council term is up at the end of this year and he is not seeking reelection to that post.

“My work on the Warren City Council demonstrates my ability to work with all parties involved to solve problems,” he said. “Additionally, I have engaged with Senators, House members, State legislators, County Commissioners, business leaders, citizens, and municipal officials of all parties to make our community stronger.”

Wortman said he also continued his studies at Penn State at the master’s level, where his graduate work was incorporated as part of Penn State’s Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education initiative.

“If I am given the privilege to serve, I will fight to ensure that the Warren County School District continues to offer rigorous academic and extra – curricular programming, heightens focus on career readiness, vocational education, and college preparedness, while ensuring fiscal responsibility,” he said.