Seven candidates vie for four seats on North Allegheny school board

Seven candidates — two incumbents and five political newcomers — are crossed-filed on the Democratic and Republican tickets in the May 16 primary for four open seats on the North Allegheny school board.

Scott Russell and Richard McClure are seeking re-election. Russell is completing a four-year term. McClure, appointed to a board vacancy in September 2015, won a two-year seat two months later in the general election.

School board members Tara Fisher and Suzanne Filiaggi are not seeking second terms.

The five other primary candidates are Andrew Chomos, David Kreiling, Bruce Martindale, Allyson Minton and Hayden Stec.

Russell, the board vice president, said if he is re-elected, it will be his last term.

“I'm a strong believer in term limits, but there are some things that were started during my first term that I would like to continue working on,” he said.

During his tenure, Russell said, the board hired a new superintendent, which is “critical” for the district.

“The superintendent is the equivalent of the CEO of a company,” Russell said. ‘We need strong leadership in our district and I believe hiring (Robert) Scherrer has provided that.”

“The key thing for me is maintaining North Allegheny's high standard of excellence,” Russell said. “It all starts with that.”

McClure said his major contribution to the board has been guiding the district's efforts to improve its facilities.

“Long before I joined the board I had concerns about the condition of NA's buildings,” said McClure. “We have a highly rated school district when it comes to academics, athletics and the arts; but our buildings really didn't represent the high standards we've set for ourselves. I felt we could do better.”

The district is in the planning stages for major renovations to several buildings, including the intermediate school and the grade schools.

While McClure supports the district's investment in its infrastructure, he said he has not been afraid to “push back” and recommend against awarding contracts for renovation work when greater review can lead to savings.

Minton said she is running for school board “to maintain the excellent quality of education our students receive.” She said her experience as a parent of school-age children and years of participation in district-level committees have equipped for the task.

“I'm not looking to be a massive agent of change for our district,” she said. “I have a clear and deep understanding of education and how it works, and can provide steady guidance. I am not running for elected office to get involved; I am running because I have been and continue to be involved; with a proven track record of extensive commitment to North Allegheny.”

Minton, who received the 2016 Pennsylvania Principals Association's Service to Children Award, said while her focus is on providing a superior level of academic and extra-curricular programs, she is mindful of the cost of providing students with the tools needed to achieve.

Stec certainly is a political rarity — He's a senior at North Allegheny scheduled to graduate shortly after the primary. He plans to study economics at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall and said he decided to run for school board to provide the perspective of a recent graduate.

“I feel that everything I've been able to experience while attending North Allegheny has helped me figure out where I want to go to college and want to do in the future,” Stec said. “I feel I can provide strong input on the board about how we can enrich the education our students receive.”

As a board member, Stec said he would push to give teachers more freedom to decide what is taught in their classrooms, and work to improve how the district addresses instances of bullying.

Stec said finding money to make improvements in the district, such as student-led fundraisers, can be done without the need to place a greater burden on taxpayers.

Chomos said years of involvement as a youth sports coach and as a board member of a residential treatment center for children has increased his desire to serve the community.

“I have two children in college and one who is a sophomore at NA,” Chomos said. “I believe our district has prepared them to excel. Now I want to be part of making sure that future students encounter the same quality educational experience my children received.”

Chomos said he believes the condition of the district's buildings can be a hindrance to attracting new families to the community.

“I've spoken to a people who were considering moving into our districts who commented that while they were very impressed by our academics, extracurricular activities and the overall quality of our district, they were surprised by our aging infrastructure,” Chomos said.

“We have a community that's not afraid to support its schools. But that doesn't mean we should be raising taxes, which should only be done as a last resort. I'd like to see more private and public coalitions developed.”

Kreiling said he sees serving on the school board as an opportunity to directly impact the quality of education his five children, and those of his neighbors, receive in a meaningful way.

“When we relocated here nearly 10 years ago, my wife and I prioritized the educational opportunities for our children,” Kreiling said. “After looking closely at scholastic programs, arts, athletics and how well students are cared for, we quickly arrived at North Allegheny as our only real choice.”

Kreiling said areas where he would like to focus his energies include improving the district's infrastructure, expanding the number of Advanced Placement courses offered, and expanding vocational education.

“We have to do a better job of serving our entire student population,” Kreiling said. “We've done a great job of working with local colleges to offer credit courses to our students. I'd like to see us develop partnerships with local businesses to provide work experience and internships to students interested in technical fields and trades.”

Bruce Martindale could not be reached for comment.

Tony LaRussa is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-772-6368 or tlarussa@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TonyLaRussaTrib.