There are 9 candidates for 5 seats on the Hempfield Space Faculty Board within the Nov. 7 basic election.
A discipline of 15 sought the positions through the main race within the spring. The district is rehashing a significant renovation mission, and there’s been prolonged dialogue on matters together with library e book content material.
4 incumbents are looking for reelection — Vince DeAugustine, who cross-filed, Republicans Jennifer Bretz and Michael Alfery, and Democrat Jeanne Smith.
Democrats Colleen Gallagher, Kathy Charlton, Erin Johns Speese; and Republicans Jennifer Stape and Tracy Miller are new candidates for the board.
The Tribune-Evaluation requested all of them their positions on how the district ought to tackle three pertinent points.
Responses have been edited for size.
E book, reference materials insurance policies
After a 12 months and a half of debate, in August the board permitted new insurance policies governing what books and supplies ought to be included within the district’s collections. The foundations set restrictions on sexual content material — written or visible — and nudity in books and formal procedures for a way a e book might be challenged.
Board members have been requested how Hempfield ought to tackle insurance policies of e book and reference materials appropriateness.
Smith: “We had an excellent car already in place for fogeys or guardians who really feel a useful resource must be reviewed for appropriateness. … I’d wish to see us return to counting on insurance policies that the board has in place and have labored for us for a few years.”
Gallagher: “I’m high-quality with the coverage the way it was. Clearly there shouldn’t be books which might be sexually express within the elementary or center faculty cabinets, but it surely’s not one other mother or father’s proper to decide on what one other little one reads.”
DeAugustine: “I’m not in favor of offering our college students with inappropriate books, however I’m additionally not in favor of taking away a library e book that’s controversial as a result of it’s on a subject that I could not agree with.”
Charlton: “I feel that the college board and the administration have put collectively a very sound coverage. Folks have to let the admin and the academics make good judgments, and if they’ve respectable actual concern, they’ll deliver that to the eye of the e book evaluate coverage they’ve established.”
Johns Speese: “Librarians complement academics and our children’ training. I simply assume the duty of a board member is to seek out compromise, to seek out center floor, and that would have been accomplished with the e book problem in a approach that might have revered all of the households within the district and the alternatives that folks wish to make for their very own households.”
Bretz: “I feel it’s truthful. I feel that how it’s written there — it took us 18 months to do this — proper now because it stands, it’s truthful,” she stated. “There was a divide there for 2 teams of oldsters, and I feel it’s truthful for either side.”
Alfery: Alfery stated he’s “happy” with the most recent rendition of the coverage. “The one restrictions are, no pornography ought to be provided by the district, interval,” he stated.
Stape: “I imagine it’s the neighborhood that ought to get to resolve whether or not one thing is obscene or not, as a result of they’re finally paying for it.”
Miller:
“I imagine the brand new (coverage) the administration/board has carried out was the fitting step ahead, and can nonetheless permit all various kinds of content material whereas choosing materials that’s age applicable.”
Highschool renovation mission
The district’s deliberate renovation of the highschool has stalled as bids got here in hundreds of thousands greater than projected.
Candidates have been requested how the district ought to proceed.
Smith: “Nobody on the board has experience in large-scale building initiatives. A number of of us really helpful hiring an proprietor’s advocate when the mission began. Hiring somebody educated in that discipline as our advocate will see that the fitting questions get requested and can know avenues for serving to us to remain inside finances. Our advocate will take care of our pursuits, see that we’re saved knowledgeable, and in the long term, will save us cash.”
Gallagher: Getting nearer to the unique estimate is a precedence, Gallagher stated. “If that has to do with reducing a few of the issues they wished to get in, then so be it.” She permitted of hiring an proprietor’s rep to supply extra experience within the discipline of building. “I nonetheless assume they need to go forward with the renovation, however simply possibly tweaked.”
DeAugustine: “We wanted an proprietor’s rep to assist us navigate via a panorama that’s international to this board and administration. We put all of our religion in a building supervisor that led us down a nasty path, and now we’re left attempting to select up the items. I’m assured (the proprietor’s rep) will present the mandatory steerage to assist us get the highschool mission again on schedule.”
Charlton: Charlton thinks the district ought to pivot to constructing a brand new constructing as an alternative of renovating the highschool. “There are such a lot of issues in that constructing that most individuals are unaware of. It will be rather more safe and it will be a a lot better surroundings to construct a brand new constructing. Once they begin ripping into that constructing, they’re going to get surprises, and that’s going to extend prices.”
Johns Speese: Johns Speese approves of hiring an proprietor’s rep to assist the district get monetary savings. She desires to stability funds with the truth that the constructing wants repairs. “If roofs want repaired, wires want fastened, structural issues want fastened, these are the issues that we have to do first. And after that we have to concentrate on instructional amenities, the issues that can present all of our college students a great studying surroundings.”
Bretz: The board was “shocked” by the excessive quotes that got here on this 12 months, she stated. “So far as the renovation mission, we’re wanting there and reevaluating there, and we wish to go forward with that. Proper now, we simply need the whole lot to come back inside finances — we don’t wish to have to lift taxes.”
Alfery: “I’ll proceed to work with our crew to give you a state-of-the-art studying surroundings for our college students, whereas keenly conscious of the rising prices and the affect these prices have on the residents of the district.”
Stape: The district ought to make cuts to the mission to decrease the prices, she stated. “Now we now have extra sunk value by hiring an proprietor’s rep, but when that signifies that the fitting choices can be made transferring ahead, then I’m OK with that, as a result of they’re not making the selections that have to be made as of now, and it’s very irritating,” she stated.
Miller: “Renovations to the highschool are crucial. Nonetheless, I imagine cuts have to be made to cut back the price.”
Faculty safety
After a number of latest incidents, safety has grow to be a problem.
Candidates have been requested how they really feel the district ought to tackle the topic.
Smith: “We’re working with the state police, county authorities and educated people within the space of security. I’m assured that we’re going to give you a strong, researched, layered strategy to enhance our security practices.”
Gallagher: “I’m completely for them having steel detectors on the doorways. That ought to be in each faculty in the entire nation.” The present highschool constructing has too many doorways, which poses a security hazard, she stated.
DeAugustine: Safety just isn’t so simple as placing a steel detector on the entrance, although steel detectors are a good suggestion, DeAugustine famous. “We’ve got to concentrate on the why. Why are children bringing weapons to highschool within the first place and the way can we cease it earlier than it will get to that stage? A few of it’s 100% parenting, which we are able to’t management. Nonetheless, what we are able to management are psychological well being points, bullying, in addition to any type of discrimination.”
Charlton: The highschool constructing itself presents “insurmountable” issues, and the long-term resolution is to construct a completely new constructing, she stated. “The concept of wanding children or placing steel detectors in might be one of the best factor to make individuals really feel safer, however it’s going to take a very long time to get children out and in of the constructing.
Johns Speese: “I feel if we’re proactive, from the start, hopefully we are able to fend off any future conditions. Nevertheless it’s actually essential that we’re taking part in offense not simply retroactively taking part in protection.”
Bretz: “Proper now, we’re at present reviewing and implementing and addressing these considerations. We’re addressing proper now that protected studying surroundings for the scholars and for the workers.”
Alfery: “Together with our district crew, I’ll depend on enter and steerage from native legislation enforcement consultants, safety trade leaders and former incidents to make sure that all features of security are lined, day-after-day, districtwide.”
Stape: Stape desires to prioritize making the buildings and grounds protected and safe, and rechecking locks and tools. She famous that she has heard various opinions on what safety measures the general public would need. “Extra essential in these choices is definitely listening to the neighborhood and the mother and father, and developing with a decision. I’d pay attention, and listen to what the neighborhood has to say from everybody.”
Miller: “Wand all college students or set up steel detectors or weapon detectors. Extra cameras and useful resource officers are wanted. They want monitoring of areas the place cameras usually are not allowed, equivalent to loos and locker rooms.”
Julia Maruca is a Tribune-Evaluation workers author. You may contact Julia at jmaruca@triblive.com.