Note: This is part 4 in a series about the General Election. Part 1 was information about the election and where to vote. Part 2 highlighted the candidates for Riverside Beaver County School District’s Board of Directors. Part 3 featured information about the candidates for Ellwood City Borough Council.
The General Election will take place on Nov 7.
We caught up with the candidates for Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors back in May before the primary election to learn more about the candidates and get their points of view on important issues in education.
Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors Candidates: Jean Biehls, Gary Rozanski Sr., Kevin Boariu, Renee Pitrelli, Jennifer Tomon (declined to participate), Erica Gray (declined to participate)
Jean Biehls
Employment: Retired Public School Music Teacher 32 years
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Area School District Board: Four years serving on the Ellwood School Board. Two years as President of the board and various committees of the board such as personnel, revenue and finance, negotiations, and education and student activities. Ellwood Board representative to the joint operating committee at the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center for three years.
Why are you running for School Board? I am running for school board to make sure that our students are being prepared for their futures in a safe educational environment.
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board? The education of the students in the Ellwood City Area School District.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? My experience as a teacher educator has given me the skills to understand the educational needs of the administration, teachers, support personnel, and students.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? I am a supporter of the community organizations and the Ellwood City Area School District booster organizations.
What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members? My years of experience as a public school teacher.
What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend? The district needs to continue to assess the curriculum and make the necessary changes to meet the standards that are required.
What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens? The school district has many programs at all educational levels to prepare students for citizenry.
As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts? Budget cuts are often difficult because a large percentage of the budget are fixed costs.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? A quality education is provided when communication is very open to the taxpayers regarding all the educational needs of the school district.
What attributes are essential for successful school board members? A successful school board member needs to be a good listener.
How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups? Thank the individual or group for the request, however explain that there is a process that is to be followed for such a request or concern.
How can you contribute to a successful board meeting? I can contribute to a successful board meeting by being a good listener and participating with shared thoughts and ideas.
What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country? Challenges facing public education in our state and country is the funding for the state and federal mandates on public education.
What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths? The strengths our our district are our teachers, administrators, support personnel, and students. These are strengths because of the many communities that make up the Ellwood City Area School District and the outstanding support of the booster organizations.
What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs? Needs will always be met by continuing to make assessments and evaluations of the educational needs of our teachers and students.
If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service? I would hope that the Ellwood City Area School District would continue to strive to be a leader in the public school education community of which other schools in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania would want to emulate.
Gary Rozanski, Sr.
Employment: Retired auto technician and service manager
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Area School District Board:
- 16 years on school board
- Past president for three years
- Past vice-president for four years
- Former member of Lawrence County Career & Technical Center
Why are you running for School Board? I would like to help to maintain the overall academics and physical well being of the district
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board? I hope to help raise the Ellwood City School District’s academic achievement levels; I would like to help to continue with the current renovations and helping to secure fair and equitable contracts with the unions.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? Former board member and work experience as a manager of men and women
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? School board, church organizations, booster groups
What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members? Experience from past school board membership
As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts? 90% of the budget is fixed; it leaves a minimum of areas to cut
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? That’s the tough part of being a board member
What attributes are essential for successful school board members? Honest, loyal, knowledgeable of what is occurring in the district
How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups? Following the proper chain of command
How can you contribute to a successful board meeting? Must have common sense, always be open to discuss issues, and being transparent.
What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country? Money – state and federal funding. Ensuring the safety of our students and staff
What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths? Balanced budget and high academic standards
What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs? Keep taxes as reasonable as possible due to the fact Ellwood City includes a high majority of senior citizens; address educational needs; insuring a safe environment for the students and staff
If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
- Maintaining a balance budget
- Continuing renovations
- Providing a fair and equitable contract for unions
Kevin Boariu
Family: My wife Beth and I reside in Ellwood City. I have lived in the district most of my life.
Employment: Elementary Principal in the Moniteau School District
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Area School District Board: I have 20 years of experience in public education. This would be my first term on the School Board.
Why are you running for School Board? Our school board elections have been non-competitive for several years and we need a board that is 100% filled by those who have faced the voters. Public service is a calling and I feel that now is the time where I have been called to contribute.
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board? I am not an issues voter and if elected I will not be an issues representative. My concern is the stability of the Ellwood City Area School District and the needs of our students.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? With nearly 20 years in public education, I feel confident that I can bring an understanding of the processes of operating a school to the board. I am a proud numbers guy (thank you Dad) and I consider budget operations to be my strongest asset formed in my experience.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? I have volunteered with Councilman Caleb Cragle to operate the local roller hockey league at Stiefel Park. I also am a volunteer debate coach for several schools in the area. I am looking to get more involved in our local community.
What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members? On a board with many returning candidates, I will be the new guy. I hope my experience will be complimentary to the operation of the board and without an agenda to run on, I feel that I can think freely about the needs of our community.
What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend? I would like to see our academic programming centered around career interests. A high school program that is centered on a student’s career interests can be our greatest defense against apathy. I would LOVE to see our district look at adopting a true middle school concept so that we can better gear our instruction to career interests and the developmental needs of our kids. The middle school concept would go a long way in helping our school adapt to the national mental health crisis.
What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens? Above all else we can prepare our students to be good citizens by promoting accountability. Students who are accountable for their actions becoming coachable. Coachable kids become employable adults. The goal is not to teach kids to be good citizens, it is to teach kids WHY and HOW they can be good citizens.
As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts? The percentage of a budget that is not already determined by contracts and mandatory spending is relatively small. If a budget is to be cut, we need to look at our enrollment realities and stop the bleeding on facilities and transportation expenditures.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? Balance comes from dialogue, not from agendas. A successful school board will utilize the input of all stakeholders and be transparent with the community about the needs of the school district. If a tax increase is necessary, be honest about why, and then look for the savings necessary.
What attributes are essential for successful school board members? An effective school board member should be curious above all else. If our board is comprised of people that want to know more about the necessary operations of a school, we will be successful. Somebody has to ask the questions and those questions may not always come with easy answers.
How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups? Requests that involve confidential student information or discipline should always be referred back to the administrators that are paid to run our schools. I am always interested in hearing ideas for helping our school to grow and increase opportunities for students.
How can you contribute to a successful board meeting? Board Members and community members make board meetings work when we are prepared and practice appropriate decorum. I sincerely believe that if we all do our homework, ask the right questions, and respect one another, that we will be in a better place.
What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country? Our greatest challenge nationally is closing the gap in achievement between our students after several years of decision making that only made those gaps larger. These gaps overlap with existing gaps in mental health, food security, and parent resources to form a perfect storm.
What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths? We have invested in a few of our facilities responsibly and can expect a few decades of service life as a result of those investments. The strength we should be most proud of is our ability to retain our faculty and staff. People are the best investment we can make, and every successful district shows this.
What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs? We, like many other districts, need to break the culture of endless meetings while empowering our faculty and staff to lead change. If we can prioritize this, every new priority will be easy.
If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service? I hope that our next school board is able to come up with a better plan for district facilities to reduce costs yet provide more equitable opportunities for our students. We absolutely need to be open to dialogue with our neighboring school districts to share resources and programs if we expect to keep our students competitive.
Renee Pitrelli
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Area School District Board: I first became interested in serving on the School Board while I was a member of the districts Steering Committee and I went to the School Board meetings as the PTO representative. I am currently finishing my 10th year. While on the Board I have had the honor of being President for 2 years and am on the negotiation team for EAEA, SEIU and ACT 93, in addition to other committees. I also have the privilege of representing Ellwood City as a board member at the MIU4 for over 8 years, 3 of which I have and currently serve as Treasurer.
Why are you running for School Board? If elected, what will be your priorities? The students have been and will always be my reason and my top priority. I would love the opportunity to see the renovations through to completion. My priorities include, improving the district’s curriculum to better meet the needs of our students. I would like to work towards bringing additional extracurricular activities/classes/clubs to the district. These additional opportunities spark joy and creativity in our students which is found to increase attendance and academics, also giving them a sense of belonging. Finally, I would like to continue to improve the district’s overall culture for staff and students alike.
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board? Our students motivate me to serve on the board I would like to see the district expand opportunities to meet the individual needs of all students while demonstrating consistency and fairness among both staff and students.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? Serving on the Steering Committee and PTO showed me there is need for community involvement. The past 10 years volunteering on various boards have taught me a great deal and I would like to use that knowledge to continue my service on the school board. I am not afraid to ask the difficult questions or take on challenges if it will benefit our students and/or the community.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? I currently sit on the Zoning Hearing Board, and the After Prom committee. I am a past member of the Recreation Board, and the Economic Development Authority for the Ellwood City Borough . I was an active member in PTO and Band Boosters also helped with our school Musicals.
What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members? I have 10 years of experience serving on the Ellwood Board, 2 of which I served as president and over 8 years serving on the MIU4 Board, 3 years as Treasurer. I have experience with school policies, State and Federal guidelines, working with a large budget, and negotiating contracts. I also believe that all our students should leave with the skills to be able to compete in today’s world and be responsible citizens.
What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend? Our board has already begun updating the district’s curriculum to ensure our students have access to up-to-date resources. I feel we need to continue updating and also provide our staff excellent professional development opportunities that will enable them to increase the quality of their instruction to help develop students who are critical thinkers and problem solvers.
What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens? Our district needs to ensure that we build a strong foundation in core subjects, communication, and technological skills. We also need to expand our options for students to explore their interests and gain hands-on/real world experiencesthat will enable them to develop the skills to be successful citizens.
As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts? Unfortunately, there are not many places in the budget to cut. With the rising costs of pensions, Special Education and lack of Charter school reform topped with inadequate state funding for school districts, it has become difficult to balance a budget.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? It has become increasingly more difficult to balance especially since the pandemic. We are working towards short- and long-term goals for the district so we have a roadmap to our goals that hopefully will not burden our taxpayers.
What attributes are essential for successful school board members? I believe patience, the ability to agree to disagree, and the willingness to work as a team are essential attributes of a school board member.
How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups? I would listen and acknowledge their concerns and then inform them of the chain of command and the process that they need to follow to get their matter resolved.
How can you contribute to a successful board meeting? By listening, asking questions, gathering information, being prepared and respectful so we can make informed decisions as a board.
What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country? Shortage of teachers, unfair charter school costs, increased Special Education costs, budget pressures, mental health issues, homelessness, not to mention the constantly changing guidance from the state but most importantly how to keep our students healthy while providing a quality education in a safe environment.
What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths? Our greatest strengths lie within the individuals that staff and support our schools. Without our parents, students, administration, teachers, secretaries, aides, coaches, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and our entire community. I am proud of each of these individuals and know that they will continue to strengthen our district though continuing to build healthy relationships and produce intelligent young men and women that will be prepared to meet the challenge called life.
What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs? I feel that we need to work on establishing short- and long-term goals for the district. We must help our students to make up for the losses of this past year not only educationally but also socially and emotionally. We need to improve our curriculum and school culture. Educating our students is the reason we exist, so that must always be our priority. Establishing goals for the district will help us be fiscally responsible to the community. It is so important for our children to feel safe in school, so we need to create a healthy and safe environment that is fair and consistent for all students.
If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service? Key accomplishments would be completion of the renovation projects and curriculum updates. I would also like to see the overall culture of our schools be on the forefront of the agenda, so we can ensure that our schools offer a safe and welcoming environment for students and staff alike so we continue to have social emotional and academic success.
Vote NO incumbents!
This is the same comment that I posted on Riverside School District’s candidate list:
I have been advocating for many years, the merger of the Riverside and Ellwood City Area School Districts. It is time for both School Boards to investigate this initiative. Ellwood City is too small, too limited in available tax base, to support two high schools. Enrollment is down significantly in both school districts compared to what existed in the years of Riverside’s creation. While enrollment is down, costs to the taxpayers to support both has risen. The Boards should look at bringing in a consultant to outline the plusses/minuses of such an undertaking, then present these findings to the community of Ellwood City to decide.
Disappointing that this article is from May and republished on November 4th. It would have been nice for someone on staff to ask candidates about their stance on the girls softball field and the location in the Park. This is a hot button for residents and residents should have the opportunity to hear thoughts from the candidates.