All four incumbent candidates retained their spots on the Butler Area School District’s board as a result of Tuesday’s general election in which five candidates campaigned for four open seats, according to unofficial election results reported in Butler County Bureau of Elections summary reports.

The unofficial results from the Nov. 4 election show John Conrad topped the polls with 9,041 votes, 23.6% of the vote. This was followed by Al Vavro with 7,882 votes, 20.5% of the vote; then Gary Shingleton with 7,818 votes, 20.4% of the vote; and Nina Teff with 7,480 votes, 19.5% of the vote.

This left newcomer Eric Reffert, who was on the Democratic ticket, as the odd one out with 5,832 votes, or 15.2% of the vote.

Conrad was born and raised in the Butler area and currently lives in Butler Township. He was originally elected to the school board in 2005 and has served five terms. He has also served on Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s Joint Operating Committee for the same period.

He is a graduate of Butler High School, Butler County Community College and the University of Pittsburgh. He retired in March after 44 years as a mechanical engineer for Westinghouse Electric.

“I am humbled that the voters have entrusted me with another four years, and I appreciate their support,” Conrad said. “I hope I continue to earn their trust.”

Shingleton, a Butler high alumnus, parent of two graduates and retired district high school teacher and coach, was running for his third term on the board.

He was a teacher from 1979 to 2013, including eight years as a department chairman; coached boys and girls basketball, baseball and golf; has worked as an NCAA college baseball umpire since 1985 and is a past president of the Chesapeake Basin College Baseball Umpires Association.

Teff is originally from New Orleans, but moved to Butler Township in 2010 due to a work transfer.

She said she worked as a petroleum engineer for 16 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2014. She first ran for school board in 2015.

Vavro has been president of the Butler school board since 2019. As a lifelong area resident who has made his home in Butler Township since 1979, he has served on the board for the past 12 years.

He works as a substitute teacher in the Freeport Area School District and was a teacher and elementary principal in the Butler district for 37 years.

“I'm very appreciative of the support I got and I hope to be worthy of that support,” Vavro said.

The Butler Area School District serves Connoquenessing, Butler, Summit, Center, Oakland and Clearfield townships; the City of Butler and Connoquenessing and East Butler boroughs.