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MAY 15, 2007 PRIMARY ELECTIONPURCHASE LINE SCHOOL BOARD
Candidates who have cross-filed (qualified for both party ballots) are listed only once. Each entry includes the candidate’s name, post office, and year of birth. 4 YEAR TERM (VOTE FOR FIVE) Mary Ann Pittman QUESTION 1: What in your background, training and experience qualifies you to be an effective school board member? As a retired teacher, I have 34 years experience within the Purchase Line School District. Having taught Special Education in each of the districts schools, I am familiar with its day to day operations. My experience will allow me to provide a hands-on perspective as the school board develops policy that affects the residents, employees and, most importantly, the students of the district.
QUESTION 2: There is some concern that the No Child Left Behind focus on testing in reading, math, and science leaves scant time and attention for other important goals of public education. What other areas do you think are important to emphasize so that our children grow to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens? I believe it is vital for schools to provide a well rounded education to its students. Providing opportunities for extra curricular activities as well as advanced placement subjects are essential to ensuring students are prepared for education and workforce opportunities beyond their experiences at Purchase Line.
QUESTION 3: The PA School Boards Association Standards for Effective School Governance state that school boards govern by reviewing, revising and adopting board policy and delegate to the superintendent responsibility for implementation of board policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why, or why not? The board of education must be an active partner in providing input as to the overall operation and long term direction of the district. It is essential for the board to represent the ideals of the residents and students of the district and ensure the administration is working to provide an education in which the community expects.
QUESTION 4: Much of the burden of paying for public education falls on local taxpayers. Under Act 1 (2006) school districts may not raise their tax rates above a state-determined index without voter approval-- the “back-end” referendum. In what areas do you think funding could be decreased or even eliminated to balance the school budget and stay below the index? In reality, most schools in Indiana and Clearfield Counties actually receive a majority of their funding from state and federal sources. Purchase Line receives over 75 percent of its budget from sources other than local tax dollars. The notion that schools will be forced to cut programs based on Act 1 is purely hypothetical. Act 1 provides school districts with the ability to raise taxes every year at the rate of inflation and there are several exemptions districts can apply for which allow taxes to be raised even higher without voter approval. In fact, the Pennsylvania Department of Education just approved exemptions for over 200 school districts allowing them to forego a voter referendum and raise taxes beyond the rate of inflation. Until the passage of Act 1, Pennsylvania was the one of the only states in the nation that did not have restrictions on school districts taxing or spending powers. I believe it is completely appropriate for voters to have a say in school district budgets. Act 1 provides voters a voice while still allowing school districts to have enough flexibility in their ability to increase taxes to adequately fund public education.
Galen Edwards QUESTION 1: What in your background, training and experience qualifies you to be an effective school board member? QUESTION 2: There is some concern that the No Child Left Behind focus on testing in reading, math, and science leaves scant time and attention for other important goals of public education. What other areas do you think are important to emphasize so that our children grow to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens? QUESTION 3: The PA School Boards Association Standards for Effective School Governance state that school boards govern by reviewing, revising and adopting board policy and delegate to the superintendent responsibility for implementation of board policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why, or why not? QUESTION 4: Much of the burden of paying for public education falls on local taxpayers. Under Act 1 (2006) school districts may not raise their tax rates above a state-determined index without voter approval-- the “back-end” referendum. In what areas do you think funding could be decreased or even eliminated to balance the school budget and stay below the index? Taylor L. Myers QUESTION 1: What in your background, training and experience qualifies you to be an effective school board member? The best training for being a school board member is being a parent. My three children have already graduated from Purchase Line. I have previously worked in the construction and trucking fields which help me relate to the working man. I currently am a teacher which enables me to keep abreast of the situations in education.
QUESTION 2: There is some concern that the No Child Left Behind focus on testing in reading, math, and science leaves scant time and attention for other important goals of public education. What other areas do you think are important to emphasize so that our children grow to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens? The core subjects are vitally important to a good education and I believe due diligence is being placed on them. Purchase Line is a rural district with a diverse population, these factors necessitate the importance of all areas of education. A full compliment of academic opportunities, athletics, music, and arts are essential for our district.
QUESTION 3: The PA School Boards Association Standards for Effective School Governance state that school boards govern by reviewing, revising and adopting board policy and delegate to the superintendent responsibility for implementation of board policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why, or why not? I do agree with the PSBA Standards for Effective School Governance. The board is responsible for the overseeing of district operations. We are not at the school on a continual basic, but need to be aware of what is going on there. The board relies on the superintendent, administrators, teachers, and support staff to conduct the day to day operations, which they do to a high degree of competence.
QUESTION 4: Much of the burden of paying for public education falls on local taxpayers. Under Act 1 (2006) school districts may not raise their tax rates above a state-determined index without voter approval-- the “back-end” referendum. In what areas do you think funding could be decreased or even eliminated to balance the school budget and stay below the index? Budgeting requires an increasing level of diligence. In our homes we see the costs of utilities, food, and transportation are increasing faster than our incomes, but we keep at it and adjust. The district budget is very much larger, but the concept is the same. We must consider our spending on all fronts and look to other sources of funding – community and business assistance for example.
Roy A. Butch
Markle QUESTION 1: What in your background, training and experience qualifies you to be an effective school board member? QUESTION 2: There is some concern that the No Child Left Behind focus on testing in reading, math, and science leaves scant time and attention for other important goals of public education. What other areas do you think are important to emphasize so that our children grow to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens? QUESTION 3: The PA School Boards Association Standards for Effective School Governance state that school boards govern by reviewing, revising and adopting board policy and delegate to the superintendent responsibility for implementation of board policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why, or why not? QUESTION 4: Much of the burden of paying for public education falls on local taxpayers. Under Act 1 (2006) school districts may not raise their tax rates above a state-determined index without voter approval-- the “back-end” referendum. In what areas do you think funding could be decreased or even eliminated to balance the school budget and stay below the index? Matthew Pearce QUESTION 1: What in your background, training and experience qualifies you to be an effective school board member? QUESTION 2: There is some concern that the No Child Left Behind focus on testing in reading, math, and science leaves scant time and attention for other important goals of public education. What other areas do you think are important to emphasize so that our children grow to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens? QUESTION 3: The PA School Boards Association Standards for Effective School Governance state that school boards govern by reviewing, revising and adopting board policy and delegate to the superintendent responsibility for implementation of board policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why, or why not? QUESTION 4: Much of the burden of paying for public education falls on local taxpayers. Under Act 1 (2006) school districts may not raise their tax rates above a state-determined index without voter approval-- the “back-end” referendum. In what areas do you think funding could be decreased or even eliminated to balance the school budget and stay below the index?
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