Four seats are open on the Dallastown school board this year and seven candidates are running for those posts.
In Region I, two seats are available. James Morton failed to get re-elected; board member Michael Hady III opted not to run for re-election. Challengers in Region I include Larry Wolfe and Kenneth Potter, who both cross-filed, and Lauren Rock, an independent candidate who petitioned for a spot on the ballot.
In Region II, two challengers are vying for the seat currently held by Bonnie Lepson, who didn't seek re-election. Those candidates are Sue Heistand and Don Jasmann. In Region III, Margaret Ibex, who cross filed, and Brian Larson, a Libertarian who petitioned to get on the ballot, are going up for one seat held by David Inkrote, who was not re-elected. The Candidates
Region I:
Larry Wolfe (R/D)
Age / Address: 71, of Forest Road
Family: Married, four adult children
Occupation: I retired from federal government service in 1989.
Education: Attended Northern Virginia Community and University of Virginia-no degree. In the course of four years of military service and twenty-seven years of civilian government service I also attended many job-related technical and management courses. I graduated from Eastern High School.
Current community involvement: Since 2006, when I served on the District Act 1 Tax Study Commission, I've been regularly attending school board meetings as a private
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Kenneth A. (Butch) Potter Jr. (R/D)
Age / Address: 48, of Ridgefield Drive, York Township
Family: Married, 2 children attend Dallastown Area Middle School
Occupation: President & CEO, Martin's Potato Chips
Education: BS in Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Current community involvement: Boy Scout Troop 43, Dallastown: adult volunteer Aldersgate United Methodist Church: member Pennsylvania State Amusement Ride Safety Advisory Board: board member
Lauren Rock (I)
Age/ Address: 42, of School St., York Township
Family: Married, Mother of York Township, Dallastown Middle School students
Occupation: Lincoln Intermediate Unit teacher's assistant
Education: B.A. Elementary Education, Towson University; Pursuing Master's at Millersville University
Current community involvement: Various educational committees at Dallastown, York Township PTO co-president, York Township Fall Fundraiser chair
Region II
Sue Heistand (R/D)
Age / Address: 43, of Hampstead Ct., York
Family: 2 children
Occupation: Marketing Representative
Education: Bachelors from Millersville University
Current community involvement: Teach 2nd grade Junior Achievement class, member of Insurance Women of York, head up yearly business attire clothing drive for Access York
Don Jasmann (R/D)
Age / Address: 52, of Heather Drive, York Township
Family: Married, one daughter, a 2006 Dallastown graduate Occupation: Engineering Manager Education: MS Engineering Management
Current community involvement: Secretary for Dallastown 1 Youth Aid Panel, 10 years of participation with the Dallastown Area School Board.
Region III
Margaret Ibex (R/D)
Age / Address: Susquehanna Trail South
Family: Five children; 13 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren
Occupation: Retired administrative secretary -- Baltimore County Public Schools (35 years), Part time teller - Susquehanna Bank
Education: High school graduate; some college
Current community involvement: Organized the "Trail 10" to address concerns regarding the proposal of the new intermediate school.
Brian Larson (Libert.)
Age / Address: 45, of Farmington Drive
Family: Wife, twins at Springfield Elementary
Occupation: Airline pilot for Southwester, Retired US Air Force
Education: BS in Aviation Management
Current community involvement: PTA
Questions:
1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the school district's performance at balancing educational wants and needs, balancing the good of the students and the good of the taxpayers? Explain why you give the district that rating.
Wolfe (Region I): As measured by our student scores in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and the Scholastic Aptitude Test; our graduation rate; and the percentage of our graduating students who plan to continue their education, the Dallastown Area School District clearly provides for the wants and needs of its students. Give it a 9 for curricula and execution.
As measured by the rate at which the district budget has grown in comparison to the rate at which the cost of living has increased (about a three to one ratio), or the growth in median household income (about a seven to one ratio); and as measured by the debt it will pass on to successive boards and future taxpayers (over $100 million), the district has not treated its taxpayers well. Give it a 1 for taxpayer equity.
The math says the net assessment is a 5.
Potter (Region I): 8 - The academic performance of Dallastown students is very, very good relative to other school districts in the state. The costs have been rising, but many of the recent cost burdens have been caused by unfunded mandates from the state government. I anticipate it will be more difficult in the coming years to maintain a high level of educational excellence through tough economic times.
Rock (Region I): There's always room for improvement. Dallastown's grade is a 9. How do you get around state and federal mandates when you're cutting costs? It is important to keep costs and expenses down for the taxpayers. For example, there are businesses, corporations, and foundations who offer grants to teachers who ask for it for specific teaching ideas or equipment etc. When possible I would like to see DASD take advantage of these types of grants and to use our community's citizens and businesses for students' learning opportunities. My hopes are to balance the quality of education that students receive with fiscal responsibility. DASD education is excellent because it is student - centered, it offers diverse educational programs, as well as extra- curricular activities. When I meet students, teachers, administrators, and staff from Dallastown, there is a sense of pride!
Heistand (Region II): I would rate the performance as a 6. It is always difficult to balance wants and needs especially in a school district that has children from diverse backgrounds. Sometimes the good of one group of students effects another group of students adversely and I have seen this happen. There are times when it is difficult to justify costs of education to residents who do not have children currently in the schools. There seems to be more of a concern regarding the ever increasing school district taxes in this economy. As our economy improves, the board still needs to make sure the budget provides quality education without excessive burden to tax payers.
Jasmann (Region II): Rating: 6. By charter, the needs of the students are the primary focus for the school board. The community's ability to pay becomes a secondary consideration. The state provides only about 18% of the funds necessary to support the Dallastown budget. Fixing the inadequate funding formula has been discussed for many years. Since the legislature is incapable of providing equitable funding for our schools, that responsibility falls on the local taxpayer. 90% of the budget applies to mandated expenditures, contracted salaries and benefits. State laws limit the areas that can be reduced in the budget. Stopping all tax increases is not an option. Action should be taken to slow down the rate of the increases. New programs must be considered only if there is a minimal or no net increase to the budget. This will require the administration to evaluate existing programs, identify priorities, make appropriate reductions and restore balance.
Ibex (Region III): The school district's performance at balancing educational wants and needs, balancing the good for students and good of the taxpayers rates a four (4) at best. I believe the wants far outweigh the needs and the burden falls to the taxpayer. Without fiscal restraint on the part of the school board our community will continue to lose businesses and jobs and the subsequent loss of homes by the taxpayers of the district. There needs to be a change in the budget process and greater access to timely information and actions by the school board that includes greater involvement of the community. A review of the district test scores shows no corresponding improvement in student achievement in spite of excessive spending.
Larson (Region III): A rating of 1 through 5 would mean the students are not getting a good education, they are. A rating of 8 through 10 would mean a great education with low taxes, taxes are not low.
That leaves us with 6 or 7. I think highly of the district but my rating is a 6. School districts are struggling all over the country, getting by on the bare bones. More sacrifices must be made in order to control cost.
2. One of Dallastown's next initiatives is expanding full-day kindergarten to all students that age, instead of just for at-risk students. Would you make a priority of expanding full-day kindergarten? Do you believe full-day kindergarten is a worthwhile investment, opposed to half-day?
Wolfe (Region I): Yes I do. Here's what the Pennsylvania Department of Education said:
"Extensive research indicates that full-day kindergarten positively impacts student learning. Yet, it also warns that full-day kindergarten's potential for increased student success is mitigated when districts simply alter the timeframe from half day to full day without transforming the expectations for students' social, emotional and academic learning, as well as the expectations for classroom practices."
The rub is in finding the nearly half million dollars which the superintendent says is needed to hire seven new teachers and fit four additional classrooms. The salary and benefit package for the seven teachers is $441,063, and will increase every year thereafter. The classrooms cost another $40,000. We shouldn't simply add the total cost to the budget. The board must search high and low for cuts which can be made elsewhere to offset this new budget requirement as much as possible.
Potter (Region I): The subject of full day kindergarten is a complicated issue. There are studies that show the children gain educationally from full day kindergarten. There are other studies that show by grade 5 or 6 that the gains are not that significant. Given the size of the investment in annual costs, we should compare this investment with any other similar investments. In other words, is this the best use of budget dollars to improve education at Dallastown?
Rock (Region I): I do think full- day kindergarten is worthwhile for children especially since many families have both parents working and coordinating dependable and safe daycare. Today's kindergartners are now being taught what we learned in first grade. Five year olds don't have time to develop socialization skills and fine motor skills. Full day kindergarten better prepares these children for first grade success. I do know some parents enjoy the half day program that Dallastown offers. Not all families have that option these days. So, we need to look at our community's wants, needs, and what our budget can handle.
Heistand (Region II): I believe full-day for at risk students is beneficial and should be continued At the meeting in April where the changes of curriculum was discussed, the committee said the benefits of full day kindergarten for all students would be; increased opportunities for social play, increased opportunities for discovery, problem solving and reflection, and receive all specials for 45 minutes per cycle. I have talked to parents who think full day is necessary, but I have also talked to parents who are concerned how their children will do emotionally at full day. Kindergarten is suppose to be a transition to full day school. Many children are in full time childcare so there isn't a huge transition from childcare to full day school. What about the children who stay home full time before starting school or only attend preschool 3-4 days a week for 2 hours. If the district decides to offer full day kindergarten, I believe there should be an option for parents who only want and need half day kindergarten. As a note, kindergarten is not required by state guidelines.
Jasmann (Region II): The DASD K-8 realignment committees have recommended full-day kindergarten. The district will not have the classroom space for full-day kindergarten until the new intermediate school is opened. The pro, con and expense of all new programs must be carefully evaluated. The same is true for full-day kindergarten. So far the administration has only presented the pro side of full-day kindergarten and believes that only four additional teachers are required for implementation. Since the district currently has approximately twenty half-day kindergarten classes, four additional teachers does not seem to be adequate. The administration has not provided any detail on enrollment numbers, class size, or the timing for complete implementation. The current school board has not asked the appropriate questions necessary to gain clarity. Until a detailed plan is presented by the administration and scrutinized by the school board, full-day kindergarten cannot be successfully implemented.
Ibex (Region III): I do not believe there is a need to expand kindergarten to a full-day program for students who are not at-risk. The program is not state mandated and would create yet another burden on the taxpayers with the cost of hiring more staff, with the purchase of more equipment, and increased facility and transportation costs. This is not sustainable in view of the economy and impending increase in staff pension costs. I see no problem, however, if parents are willing to shoulder the burden of these expenses. Obviously , if that were to happen, very specific rules and guidelines would be required.
Larson (Region III): Most educators agree that full-day kindergarten is a good value for the investment. The problem then comes in adding yet another cost to our already huge budget. If the school believes there is more value gained in the early years, then we'll have to figure out where in the budget we are not getting good value, divert that money to kindergarten and make it a budget neutral program.
3. The school board approved the hiring of the intermediate school principal one year before the new school is scheduled to open, so the person has time to prepare in advance of the opening. Do you agree with this move? Why or why not?
Wolfe (Region I): I do not agree. The principal-designee is a well-qualified professional who is already on the district payroll at a $100,000+ salary. She is a district insider who has proven management and leadership skills as a principal. Someone with her experience and compensation package should be able to hit the ground running and I believe she will. Why wasn't there an arrangement whereby she could attend to critical pre-opening matters as an adjunct to her present duties—with some additional compensation as appropriate? Moreover, as of August of this year she also had the assistance of a secretary who was hired specifically for the Intermediate School principal. It would have been reasonable to name a principal not later than sixty days before opening, but one year is just too much lead time.
Potter (Region I): Yes. The new intermediate school is a huge undertaking for the district. Almost $50 million dollars will be spent on the construction. Over 1600 students will be attending classes. I believe the decision to hire the principle ahead of time is very sound. Dallastown needs to make the make the most out of this large investment and get the education off to a great start. It takes financial investment to build the facilities, but it takes people to make education happen, and we shouldn't skimp on the personnel resources once the decision had been made to construct the new school.
Rock (Region I): Whether you agree or not one fact is important for taxpayers to note that this principal was promoted from within and DASD did not incur costs for another principal. I think it was a pro-active move for Dallastown to promote Paula March to this new position because good planning saves money for our district in the long run. March is accountable for coordinating staff in-services that relate to the success of the intermediate building, ie. bussing, team teaching, distributing students with needs, abilities, and integrating the unified arts (art, library, computer, music, physical education). Also, March created a student committee to have input for the new building consisting of second, third, and fourth graders-why? Because kids have good ideas too, they have fresh ideas that create "aha" moments that we can learn from.
Heistand (Region II): I have learned from past experiences not to cast judgment on a situation if you do not know the full story. Unfortunately when this decision was discussed, I was not at the board meeting. I don't know the full circumstances why this decision was made. In addition, I don't know what is involved in opening of a new school. So I cannot say if I agree with this move or not. I was glad to hear the board decided not to hire a replacement for Mrs. March's position that was left vacant due to her being hired as intermediate school principal. Instead of looking at decisions already made, we need to focus on what decisions still need to be made and how they effect our children and school district.
Jasmann (Region II): One full year seems like an excessive amount of time to prepare for the opening of the new school. However, the administration realigned the elementary school principals, which resulted in no net increase to the total number of principals currently supporting K-8. The early hiring of the intermediate school principal had little impact on the district taxpayer. The bigger concern is that the administration is planning on three additional principals at the new intermediate school. The administration intends to further realign the current principal staff and not add personnel. Once again, the administration has not provided the details of the realignment and the school board has not asked questions to determine which schools will be impacted. A complete, open, and transparent review of the staffing plan is required to assure all school buildings have adequate administrative support.
Ibex (Region III): I do not feel the principal for the new intermediate school should have been hired a year in advance of the opening of the school. The person appointed to the position is well qualified and an experienced administrator with the district and, as such, could have devoted a part time effort to preparing for the opening while the building is still under construction. Additionally the school board approved an additional secretarial position to assist the principal. This demonstrates a lack of fiscal restraint and sensitivity to taxpayers on the part of the school board in tough economic times.
Larson (Region III): I try not to second guess the decisions of those who came before me; often they have access to information that the rest of us lack.
4. The Department of Education has been pushing the implementation of Keystone Exams, tests high schoolers would take to further demonstrate proficiency before graduating. Do you think these tests are necessary? If so, how would they benefit students? If not, do you think more needs to be done to prove students are ready to graduate?
Wolfe (Region I): This is a topic upon which the education professionals can't seem to agree. And if that's not perplexing enough, the General Assembly asserts its authority to decide whether such competency testing is required. My personal opinion is that while such testing is not necessary for Dallastown, there are certainly some number of Pennsylvania school districts where competency testing should be imposed. Consider a local newspaper report of a York School District mother who recently said her daughter "...was unprepared and undereducated when she went to college." I'm not a proponent of a statewide competency test, but I would not oppose such testing provided (a) it replaced PSSA 11th grade testing, and (b) it would not impose yet another unfunded mandate on local school districts.
Potter (Region I): The goal of measuring student performance is a good goal. I hesitate to comment on the Keystone Exams without having read them or having had our educators review them. I have some concerns about PSSAs and other standardized tests because they can disrupt the natural curriculum flow and cause teachers to teach to the test, rather than teach the typical curriculum. News media attention is often focused on these minimum graduation requirements and I believe we should not be focused on the minimum, but we should focus on what is the maximum that students could learn, and how can the school best prepare students for their future career paths.
Rock (Region I): Currently, students take the PSSA's and 11th grade students do not benefit nor do they take them seriously because the tests are not judged by colleges or training institutions. The Keystone exams are a better alternative for 11th graders because it would be a requirement to pass for graduation (with some exceptions). The state is asking for this test to count for 33% of their grade. So, here we go again teaching the test and how much more money will this cost for us to follow these mandates? There are too many questions about state testing. Dallastown should expect more than a "proficiency" on an exam so that he or she can graduate. Students should strive towards excellence. I am looking forward to learning more about this topic.
Heistand (Region II): We seem to be obsessed with tests and proficiency scores. If the children are being passed to the next grade each year and are receiving passing grades in their senior year, why do the children need to take more tests to prove they are proficient. Isn't that what a passing grade means, you are proficient and are able to move to the next level? PSSA tests are required by the state and are suppose to test proficiency in our schools. It seems our children are being taught how to take the tests more then they are taught their basics in reading, writing and math. So does that mean if a test is required to graduate, they spend their senior year learning how to pass that test? I would rather see time and effort offering children life skills, how to balance a check book, how to set a budget and follow it, etc. If we don't feel grades are enough to determine a child is proficient, then we need to look at why a child who earns passing grades may not be proficient.
Jasmann (Region II): The current plan for implementing the Keystone Exams appears to have addressed some of the concerns relative to the impact a single high stakes test can have on students. If the school district decides to voluntarily use the Keystone Exams to determine student proficiency, the Keystone Exam would be considered the final course exam and count as a portion of the final grade. The plan includes retake provisions to help assure a fair assessment of student knowledge. Replacing the current grade 11 PSSA with the Keystone Exams administered at the end of the appropriate course work has merit. This option would test the knowledge gained by the student closer to the time of the actual learning experience. Since the Keystone Exams will have some impact on graduation, the student has more of an incentive to perform well. The current grade 11 PSSA does not provide such an incentive.
Ibex (Region III): The implementation of the Keystone Exams would benefit our students, our teachers and our community. I believe more emphasis needs to be placed on teaching math, science, and life skills to provide students with the necessary skills to enter the workforce or college. Students need to be proficient in their academics and earn their right to graduate after 12 years of education. If students aren't performing well in elementary or middle school then they need to be retained. Being retained should not carry a stigma but should allow a student a second chance at what is rightfully his/her right to a quality education. Everyone learns at a different pace.
Larson (Region III): It is my understanding that the plan received a 4-1 vote of approval from a state board review on Friday Oct 23. From what I understand these test are not mandatory, our district will have to decide whether we want the keystone exams or a locally developed alternative. Going with the state exam will probably save us money. Whether I think these test are necessary is really irrelevant at this point, some kind of test will most likely be given. Having said that, there is a lot I need to learn about the ramifications and/ or benefits to our students and the district. If elected, I will do my research, ask good questions and make an informed decision.
5. A majority of Dallastown board members have, in the past, attended national conferences for school board member training, with costs paid for by taxpayers. Would you consider attending such a conference? Why or why not?
Wolfe (Region I): Cities like Orlando or San Diego, which have hosted past National School Board Association (NSBA) conferences are very inviting places to visit, and I'm certain the local school board members who attended in the past worked hard and learned much. However, I feel the benefits of such conferences do not justify the costs to the taxpayer. When the NSBA holds an annual conference within a five-hour driving distance, I'll think about attending at taxpayer expense. Until then I'll pass.
Potter (Region I): For me, any decision by the district to spend money for anyone to attend a conference is a cost/benefit decision. Will the benefits of the knowledge gained exceed the cost of the conference or seminar or trip? If the benefits were worth the cost, and the conference was approved by the board and recommended by the administration, I would certainly be willing to attend such a conference.
I am a big believer that there is much to be learned from other people involved in the same professions. It doesn't take a big budget to travel to other school districts and meet with other education professionals formally or informally. A lot of information is out on the Internet. Learning isn't just for students, it should last a lifetime.
Rock (Region I): School Board training is crucial to being an effective director, but there's no need to spend too much money. Because Dallastown is located near several metropolitan areas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C., there should be appropriate learning opportunities available at a fair cost. There is no need to experience the benefits of these conferences at a large expense to taxpayers. Also, time is valuable, School Board Directors have other responsibilities too, i.e. full-time commitments with our families and jobs. This position holds many responsibilities for our children and our future.
Heistand (Region II): I am on the board of a not for profit association and every year we are faced with the question of do we spend the money to send two people to our conferences. Since I was on the board, I attended those conferences and know a lot of information can be learned from other people attending in addition to classes offered during the conferences. Networking can be very beneficial in learning about what does work and what doesn't work in other districts. Because of the economy we continue to question the spending of the school board, and they should be held accountable no matter the state of our economy. Each year attendance at conferences needs to be evaluated by looking at available funds and what benefits the board members would receive if they attend.
Jasmann (Region II): It is important for school board members to periodically participate in such conferences to explore new ideas and programs that may help improve the district. However, there is no need for all board members to participate in every annual conference. Two or three board members could participate on a rotational basis. Those participants would then be required to provide a detailed presentation to the rest of the board on the seminars attended and which ideas should or should not be explored for implementation in the district. Conference and travel expenses must always be kept to a minimum. (It should be noted that none of the current board members attended the national conference this past year due to the budget constraints caused by the ballooning interest on the variable rate bonds).
Ibex (Region III): Considering the state of our economy in our state and nation, I would not attend a national conference at the expense of the taxpayers. I do not think it is necessary to send all school board members when one school board member could attend and return with the educational materials for subsequent distribution to other school board members. As evidenced by past experience at DASD and other school districts, there needs to be an open and transparent approval and reporting process that includes specific guidelines for the travel and reporting of expenses. As an alternative I would consider attending continuing education courses within close proximity to the School District.
Larson (Region III): Well to be honest, I wouldn't want to go. I travel a great deal for a living so when I am home I like to stay there. However, if the board decided there would be value in one of us attending, I would be a good candidate. I am able to fly for free thus saving the district money.
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