The May 21 primary election for the Northampton Area School Board may hold some surprises.

NASD board Vice President Jane Erdo of Bath faces a challenger in Region 3, which covers Bath Borough, Chapman Borough and Moore Township.

Chuck Longacre of Moore Township is challenging Erdo, longtime school board member and education advocate.

Erdo was appointed to the NASD school board in 2005. She was elected and re-elected. This is her third bid. She was previously on the school board 1995-99.

Erdo, a graduate of the former Churchman's Business College, Easton, works as transition coordinator for Parent Education Network. She received advocacy training in special education from the Education Law Center.

Erdo is president of the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 board, on which she served 1997-99 and again since 2005.

She is assistant director, Region 8, Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

She is a master trainer for the Pennsylvania Department of Education for Chapter 14 special education participation. She has been chair of the Local Right to Education Task Force for eight years, for which she received the state chairperson of the year award.

"Back when I first decided to run for school board, I was attending meetings and felt my voice wasn't being heard and I needed to serve on the board," Erdo said.

"I look at education as a whole. How do we serve the needs of all not only the students, but the community? I want to make sure we're looking at the big picture."

Longacre, a frequent attendee at NASD school board meetings, has been a member of the NASD Gifted Advisory Council since its inception in 2001. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) and president of NPAGE, the Northampton affiliate.

He has been a presenter at career days at Moore Elementary School and Northampton Area Middle School, and has presented programs on snow sports safety at the middle and elementary schools.

Longacre and his wife, Pam, have had four sons in Northampton schools, including Christian, a 2011 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University; Andrew, a 2013 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Daniel, a student at Lock Haven University, and Benjamin, a junior at Northampton Area High School. Pam is a kindergarten teacher at Moore Elementary School.

Longacre has been a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader (Boy Scout Troop 50, Moorestown), member of the National Ski Patrol System and volunteer ski patroller at Blue Mountain Ski Area, and has held various offices at Covenant United Methodist Church, Klecknersville.

Longacre is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, working as a consulting engineer for Forensic Engineering Sciences, Easton.

He holds two United States patents.

"Maintaining a high quality educational program in Northampton schools at a fair cost to taxpayers will be my ultimate goal," Longacre said.

"Now more than ever, with the challenges presented by volatile funding from the state and federal governments, we need knowledgeable, concerned individuals on the school board.

"An important and immediate challenge is successful and cost effective completion of the new middle school facility. My background as a professional engineer, and my experience with educational issues facing Northampton schools, provide me with unique qualifications for this position," Longacre said.

NASD board member Judy Odenwelder of Northampton is seeking re-election. She represents Region 2, which is Northampton Borough and East Allen Township

From 1987 to 2006, Odewelder taught eighth-grade literature, was a kindergarten through fifth-grade instructional support staffer, and retired as a fifth-grade teacher in Wilson Area School District. Before that, she taught grades 4-8 in Tennessee and Ohio.

Odenwelder is on the Northampton Area Public Library Board, previously serving as president and vice president. She is vice president of the East Allen Township Parks and Recreation Board.

"I don't have a personal agenda. I try to look at things from a retired educator's point of view, a parent's point of view and a taxpayer's point of view. I try to look at everything in a fair and open-minded way," Odewelder said.

Incumbent school Director Cory Fenstermaker of Northampton is not listed on the ballot.

Previously, Fenstermaker, who represents Region 2, was re-elected as a write-in candidate.

Chuck F. Frantz Jr. of Northampton is running to represent Region 2.

Frantz, owner of Frantz Trophies and Plaques, 951 Main St., Northampton, for 20 years, has worked part time as program director for the East Allen Township Parks and Recreation Department for seven years.

Frantz is a 1971 Dieruff High School graduate. While there, he studied business education. He and his wife have two grown children, one of whom has two children who are NASD students.

He attends St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Catasauqua.

Frantz has been on the board of directors of the Northampton County Miracle League for three years since its inception. He was involved in the $1-million capital campaign for the Miracle League Palmer Township baseball field.

He is president and founder of the Lehigh Valley Yankees Fan Club for 11 years.

Frantz is a past president of the Northampton Athletic Association.

He volunteers for the Queenship of Mary Catholic Youth Organization where he has coached baseball, softball and bowling teams.

Said Frantz, "I'm running first of all because I feel I'd be a great asset to the school board. I am interested in keeping costs down and using a common-sense approach."

"I've been involved with children with special needs and their parents."

Frantz said his business background and youth sports involvement would prove valuable to the board.

Incumbent school Director Robert Koch of Northampton is not on the ballot.

Koch, who represents Region, which is Allen Township and Lehigh Township, has not attended numerous school board meetings this year and in 2012 because of illness. Koch did attend the April 22 Northampton Area Middle School and Secondary Campus Renovation project groundbreaking and part of that night's school board meeting.

Roy Maranki of Northampton is running to represent Region 1.

As of deadline for the May 16 edition of The Press, Maranki did not provide candidacy information and attempts to reach him by a reporter for The Press were unsuccessful.