School board incumbents, plus Carlson and Daniels, nominated

Rodney Howard, Candidate

The bumper crop of candidates seeking school board nominations in the primary seemed to indicate a serious challenge to the status quo. The outcome of May 21 primary balloting appears to indicate a mixed response.

Of four board terms expiring late this year, only one current trustee, Ron Caskey, chose not to seek reelection. Board president Dave Mensch, vice president Denise Buchanan and board member Rodney Howard filed nominating petitions, and all three appear to have won nominations. Mensch and Howard cross-filed and won nominations from both Republican and Democratic parties. Buchanan ran as a Republican and won that nomination.

Two other persons won nominations as well: Mark P. Carlson and Kaci Daniels. Carlson cross-filed and will appear under both party banners on the municipal election ballot in November. Daniels ran for and received a Democratic nomination only.

David Mensch, Nominee

For those who might have expected a lowering of the number of educators or education professionals on the “board of lay school directors,” voters’ choices of nominees do not indicate a groundswell for such a change.

Mensch is a retired science teacher and department head who has served on the board for two previous terms. Daniels is a current teacher in the Otto-Eldred school system. Ron Caskey, a retired teacher, still serves on the board until his term ends late this year, but he did not seek a second term, citing numerous other responsibilities.

Carlson, a dentist, has attended most meetings of the Academic Improvement Committee (AIC), initially an ad hoc committee of the Port Allegany School Board, but now a standing committee of the board. Daniels has been active in the AIC as a subcommittee or interest group member.

Kaci Daniels, Candidate

Jeanette Burleson is another AIC member who ran for the board. Mensch and Buchanan are members as well, as are at least two other current board members. It is chaired by board member Scott Moses. Although the AIC is seen by some as an agent of change, the AIC candidates who challenged incumbents did not best them in primary balloting.

Fiscal policy of the board, and support for using some of the reserve funds earmarked for facilities upgrades for such improvements, could be affected, depending on which four are elected in November.

 

Mark P Carlson, Nominee

Howard voted against both parts of a package of upgrades to the two school buildings and athletic facilities and grounds. Mensch voted for upgrades in the buildings, including the auditorium; Buchanan supported all of the improvements. Carlson and Howard have been outspoken in their views that upgrades should be postponed until about 2020, when the junior-senior high school will be eligible for another PlanCon (partially state reimbursed) renovation.

With voting results of Potter County portions of the school district, Roulette and Pleasant Valley , factored in, the unofficial results of the school board voting for Republican nominations  are these, with the first four having received nominations:

 Township

Denise Herger Buchanan, Nominee

Mark P. Carlson—345; David Mensch—269; Denise Buchanan—254; Rodney Howard—245; Jason Stake—212; Lisa Drabert—171; Jeanette Burleson—147; and Allen Long—115.

Democrats voted for the following, with the first four receiving nominations:

Kaci Daniels—67; Carlson—64; Mensch—56; Howard—56; Drabert—49; Stake—46; Burleson—39; Long—14.