At the MT school board meeting on Nov. 14, Nikki Rivera announced that she will be stepping down from her role as school board president effective Nov. 21. She was elected on Nov. 5 to serve as a state representative for the 96th District of Pennsylvania, starting Dec. 1. Representative-Elect Rivera served on the school board from 2016-2024.
Besides being the school board president for Township, Rivera also taught Spanish at Warwick High School for 30 years. She and her family have lived in Manheim Township since 1995.
During her time as school board president, Rivera said that she was honored to support Dr. Felty and her team of educators. Some of Rivera’s accomplishments as president included creating an accepting environment for all students, staff, and residents of Township and leading the board to accomplish school business.
“I am most proud of contributing to a positive learning experience for MT students from 2016-2024,” said Rivera in an email statement.
It was a difficult decision for Rivera to step down from her position, but she knew that she would be leaving the school board in good hands.
“Knowing that our current school board is supportive of our administration’s initiatives and mindful of all students’ value and dignity gave me the peace of mind that I needed to be comfortable with resigning from the board,” said Rivera.
Through her experience on the school board, Rivera said that she has learned a lot about state level decision making in regards to education, which will aid her in her role as a Legislator. She has many goals for what she wants to accomplish as a legislator.
“My most immediate goal is to get out in the community (Lancaster City, MT, East Pete) and meet as many leaders as possible so that I can learn how to best support their organizations in my role as PA State Rep for HD96,” she said.
Rivera also plans to focus on public education, supporting working families, and caring for the elderly. She will be the first woman to serve as legislator of the 96th District, and will be officially sworn in on Jan. 7.
