This is the first in a two-part series featuring a Q&A with the candidates for Ellwood City School District’s Board of Directors. Today’s Q&A features Leroy Cortez and Jean Biehls. Tomorrow’s Q&A will feature Gary Rozanski and Kathy Pansera. The following candidates declined to participate: Jennifer Tomon, Erica Gray, Danielle Woodhead.
Elections are just around the corner. Residents will be able to place their votes for numerous offices including Ellwood City Borough Council on November 5. To find your polling location, click here. To learn more about the voting process and how to cast your vote, click here.
Take a moment to get to know the candidates running for Ellwood City School District’s Board of Directors.
Leroy Cortez
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Area School District Board: 16 years of service on board. I was involved with praying and planning (With Reverend Cindy Antinossi) the startup of WXED 107.3 our local radio station.
Q: Why are you running for School Board? If elected, what will be your priorities?
A: To continue the work to make our district the best it can be.
Q: Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board?
We need to maintain our focus on education and not get distracted with non-issues.
Q: What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
A: Great listener, patience, seen in the community, always prepared.
Q: In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
A: Local civic groups, church organizations, close to leadership and members on most community churches.
Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members?
A: I have no ties to any special interest groups. I maintain a safe distance. There are board members and two candidates that have taken money from SEUI. They cannot be objective with contracts.
Q: What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?
A: We are working on “The Portrait of a Graduate “our planning committee (that is made up of administrators, teachers, board members, and community members).
Q: What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens?
A: We need to help guide more students to community involvement and volunteering.
Q: As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
A: Most of budget is fixed cost, so the cuts need to be very surgical as to minimize negative effects on education.
Q: How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden?
A: Must direct moneys to the classroom and minimize all other cost.
Q: What attributes are essential for successful school board members?
A: Must have vision and goals, communicate with the community, and keep the public informed.
Q: How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups?
A: Always listen, never make promises, and make it very clear they will be treated no better or worse than any one person or any other group.
Q: How can you contribute to a successful board meeting?
A: Stay focused, never get off track, and help guide other members to focus on the issue at hand.
Q: What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country?
A: The biggest challenge is to get the public and elected officials to recognize the great importance to finance public education.
Q: What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
A: We have administrative leadership with both vision and understanding of the constant changes in education to keep our district on the cutting edge of the changes.
Q: What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs?
A: The Board must lead the district to maintain financial viability over the next several years.
Q: If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
A: The biggest challenge should be to merge with our neighbors into one great school district. The merger would be very seamless and financially best for both districts. It would greatly increase education opportunities for all students.
Jean Biehls
Family: Husband Gary Biehls (deceased)
Employment: Retired Public School Teacher
Q: Why are you running for School Board? If elected, what will be your priorities?
A: I am running for school board so I can help to create an educational system that other school districts would want to emulate. Being elected my priorities would be to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, that each child gets the education they need to prepare them for the future, and no outsourcing of jobs.
Q: Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board?
A: The educational environment for our students.
Q: What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
A: Experience as a public school teacher and educator helped prepare me to serve as a board member.
Q: In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
A: I have not been involved in any district or community activities or organizations; however, I support district and community activities and organizations.
Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members?
A: What differentiates me from the other candidates is that I am a retired public school teacher having taught in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 32 years.
Q: What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?
A: Cannot answer this as I have not reviewed the academic program of the district, so, therefore, I cannot recommend any changes.
Q: What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens?
A: Teaching responsibility and accountability will help prepare students to be good citizens.
Q: As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
A: I cannot discuss budget cuts until I would have an opportunity to look at and review the entire budget. Many budget items are driven by state and federal mandates.
Q: How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden?
For the school board to provide a quality education for the children, the board could look to grants for education and partner with the business community which would relieve some of the taxpayer burden.
Q: What attributes are essential for successful school board members?
Attributes essential for successful school board members are not to have a personal agenda and to work together respecting each others thoughts, views, and ideas while being approachable and very visible in the school community.
Q: How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups?
Requests by individuals and special interest groups should be listened to and addressed at the proper time.
Q: How can you contribute to a successful board meeting?
Contributing to a successful board meeting would be to review every item on the agenda with an open mind.
Q: What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country?
One of the current challenges facing public education in our state and country is the safety of our children and the security of the school facilities at all times of the day.
Q: What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
The Ellwood City School District has strength in the teachers who create an educational atmosphere, the custodians and maintenance who keep the facilities sparkling and inviting, the cafeteria workers who make sure the children have nourishment, and the support personnel that takes care of the daily operations of the school system. I thank all of you regardless of your role in the students lives for the tremendous job that you do.
Q: What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs?
The district needs to make sure and accept the responsibility to provide the teachers and support personnel with what they need to create an educational environment that is conductive to learning for all students.
Q: If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
I would hope during my years of service on the school board that we could see the Ellwood City School District become an educational and extracurricular school district which other school districts would want to emulate.
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