Deer Lakes School Board draws pool of 7 candidates for May 16 primary

Residents in the Deer Lakes School District will have a choice in the May 16 primary of seven candidates seeking nominations to the ballot of the Nov. 7 general election, where five school board seats will be determined.

Newcomers James Calvert, Susan Claus, Pietro Porco, Leonard Verdetto III and Phillip Ziendarski will compete against incumbents Larry Neidig and Cristy McCloskey.

All are cross-filed, listed as Democrat and Republican.

The Tribune-Review asked candidates the same three questions to give voters a glimpse at their platforms and the ability to compare stances. Ziendarski did not respond to requests for comment.

Why did you decide to run for election?

Calvert: “I retired from Deer Lakes School District after 23 years of service in the technology department,” he said. “This school year, the first of my grandchildren started kindergarten at Curtisville Primary Center, and, after I was invited back to the Veterans Day program, I realized how much I missed being a part of the school, its awesome children and its dedicated, hard-working staff.

“I live in the community and care for all our residents, and I want Deer Lakes to be a preferred school for existing and future residents wanting a better life for themselves and their children.”

Claus: “Our school district is the best kept secret in Allegheny County, and I am always encouraging young families to move here for the schools,” she said. “I am grateful for the education that my sons received at Deer Lakes, and I want to give back to the school community by serving on the school board.”

McCloskey: “I was elected in November 2019 and officially took office in December of that year, right before the pandemic,” she said. “While much of my term consisted of dealing with covid protocols, I was delighted we were able to ensure students’ safety while enabling them to continue learning.

“As a teacher, I have a deep passion for education, and I want to continue to serve my community by ensuring our school system provides a quality education to all students. I gained valuable experience and knowledge during my term, which, should I be reelected, will make me an even more effective board member.”

Neidig: “I am running for reelection because the district is headed in a good direction and there is still work to be done,” he said. “I believe that board members should be willing to logically think through all decisions and make a rational decision based on the information provided.

“I have done that over the past four years and would love the opportunity to continue.”

Porco: “I believe it is important to serve our communities,” he said. “We can only expect our communities to give in return what you put into it.

“I felt that the Deer Lakes School District has done very well for my children and my family. It was time for me to give back to the community.”

Verdetto: “I am concerned about how schools are pushing an agenda of confusion and false learning,” he said. “When I was in high school 11 years ago, life was different and seemed peaceful and not distracting for the most part. I want to bring that back.”

What are the primary issues facing the district?

Calvert: “Academics, safety and fiscal responsibility,” he said. “Our community invests a lot in the school district, and they expect us to use that funding wisely and effectively. We need to focus on giving students the best opportunities to succeed. They need to feel safe, and they need to know their board members, administration, teachers and staff care and respect them and their families.

“We also need to ensure that mental health is not overlooked. When students feel heard and respected, they will likely return that respect to staff and fellow students, increasing their interest in learning and eventually reflecting in higher test scores and a more positive community perception.”

Claus: “The primary issue is balancing good stewardship of tax dollars with making sure that students have the best teachers and essential resources they need to become informed citizens and lifelong learners,” she said. “We also need to continue to support and encourage interest in career training in the trades, as well as encouraging those who are college bound.”

McCloskey: “I believe our focus must be on creating an inclusive culture in our schools,” she said. “A few weeks ago, we had a very emotional board meeting where we heard from a number of parents and students. We need to recognize and value diversity by creating policies, training staff and implementing more programs that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Building positive relationships between students, teachers and staff helps students feel valued, respected and connected. We need to regularly collect data to assess and evaluate our progress and use that data to inform changes and improvements to school policies and practices.”

Neidig: “To be honest, I don’t think our district has a lot of issues we are facing,” he said. “I do think we have things that could be worked on, including dealing with potential growth, making all students and community members feel supported, and navigating the end of the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) at the Pittsburgh Mills.”

Porco: “I believe the major issues facing the district is the future fiscal stability,” he said. “I believe the district needs to understand the future class sizes and the stability of the tax base to properly allocate the funds to provide the best academic curriculum without burdening the residents with excessive taxes.”

Verdetto: “The issues that we are facing are learning syllabus transparency for parents, fiscal accountability, kids bullying, lack of learning support attention and traditional family values slowly degrading,” he said.

What do you feel you bring to the board?

Calvert: “I’m a veteran, worked in the corporate world for 14 years and at Deer Lakes for 23 years,” Calvert said. “I’m well-rounded, open-minded, and I care about the perception of Deer Lakes and our community.

“I attended almost every board meeting during my tenure at Deer Lakes. As a tech person, I worked with every administrator, teacher and student in the district, and I understood many of their needs. I feel that I will be able to sit down with each of them and listen to their needs and balance them with the needs of the community.”

Claus: “I bring 25 years of professional experience as a children’s librarian in a public library, as well as the perspective of a parent of two Deer Lakes graduates,” she said. “As a librarian, I have worked with educators and students in private, parochial and public schools, as well as with families who home-school.

“As a parent, I value the opportunities that the district provides to students, and that school staff don’t just work here, most live here, too. Not every school district can say that.”

McCloskey: “Being a current board member, I bring experience.” she said. “As a parent of two students in the district, I understand what challenges students face every day.

“Furthermore, working as an educator in both secondary and post-secondary schools for 25 years, I know what it is like to be in a school every day.

“I understand firsthand what is happening in education and what needs to happen to help prepare our students for the workforce of today. I have a genuine interest in improving our schools for our teachers, and for our children, because they deserve an outstanding education.”

Neidig: “I bring experience of not only being a current member of the board, but I also teach people how to be good board members for my everyday job,” he said. “Having a professional working relationship with everyone is very important to me, and I encourage others to approach the work we do in that manner.

“My background in labor relations delivers a unique perspective when handling district staff and labor contracts. I believe fellow board members have recognized these traits and others when they elected me to serve as the treasurer and twice as vice president.”

Porco: “I believe using the management, organization, leadership and education skills I have as a parent, electrical engineer, hockey coach and sports club board member to help make the critical decisions to provide the best overall academic curriculum for all residents,” Porco said.

Verdetto: “I am a young man that can relate to the younger crowd well and understand them,” he said. “I am a man that keeps his word and wants to do what’s right for the community. We can set the example of real solutions to what this great nation needs.

“I will be a defender for parents that want their kids to feel safe and have a purpose in life for good moral values. I’ll make sure our tax dollars are funded toward traditional and affordable education.”