9 candidates outline plans for Greensburg Salem School Board

A crowded race in Greensburg Salem School District will ensure at least a couple new faces on the school board next year.

Nine candidates — including three incumbents — are vying for five open seats.

Most are running on both the Republican and Democratic ballots, except Ronel Baccus, who is only on the Democratic ticket.

Baccus said she wants to promote inclusion and diversity.

“My children experienced racism in school when they attended Greensburg Salem High School,” Baccus said.

She said she wants to see more cultural education for staff and administrators. She also wants to do more to help children with special needs.

“Every child deserves a fair chance, and the opportunity to move forward, and not be held back,” she said.

Baccus, Andrew Barnette and Desmond Grace are campaigning together as a team. They met through Voice of Westmoreland, a progressive advocacy group.

“We realized that we were all interested in running, and we just started talking and decided to pool resources and share time and talent,” Barnette said.

He agrees that the district should be more inclusive. He also wants to focus on improving district buildings, which are in disrepair.

“At the end of the day, you have to meet the needs of your students,” he said. “We have leaky roofs. If people have leaky roofs in their home, they’d do whatever it takes to fix it.”

Incumbent Robin Beckadic Savage has advocated for controlling district spending and against tax increases.

If re-elected, she said she would continue to work toward a balanced budget.

She said she wants to get rid of block scheduling at the high school, which she said requires more staff while giving students fewer options.

“We produce great students, but I also think we need to allow the kids to have electives,” she said.

She said she wants to see the board come together and work harder to confront the issues facing the district.

“I really think the board and everybody needs to come in, and leave politics outside the door, and start working toward the greater good,” she said.

Brian Conway is the president of the Greensburg Salem Band Parents Association. He said he has two top priorities: balancing the budget and promoting arts programs at the district.

“It seems like when we try to compare our district to other districts, other districts have a smaller budget and a similar-sized school,” he said. “You have to balance wants and needs.”

He said he would work to avoid tax increases.

“In my opinion (tax increases) are the easy way out, and we don’t get elected to take the easy way out,” he said.

Incumbent Frank Gazze said the board should focus on providing the best programs possible for district students.

“I think maybe we spend too much time talking about money, and not enough time talking about education,” he said. “And I think that’s starting to change.”

The district’s budget woes are largely the result of unfunded state mandates. It’s up to district officials and the public to push Harrisburg for more school funding, he said.

In the meantime, Gazze said it’s important to invest in the district.

“Our prime priority is the great education of our children in the district, and that has to be number one.”

Grace said district leadership hasn’t done enough to listen to the suggestions and concerns of parents on topics like student safety.

He said the board should have an “open door” and “open mind” policy when it came to community suggestions.

The board should be “more inclusive to more people, and to try to meet the needs of the kids, and to be able to give the parents the opportunity to speak to the school district, and for them to be heard,” he said.

He moved to Greensburg in 2012, and in the last few years has come to see the city as a home, he said.

“Because it’s my home, I want to participate,” he said.

Candidate Rich Guererri did not return calls seeking comment.

Jonathan O’Brien said he’s running for school board to stop tax increases.

“I’m tired of the taxes,” he said. “The district needs to be more fiscally responsible.”

He said the board needs to curtail salaries and benefits for district staff.

The board is in the midst of negotiations with the district’s teacher’s union.

“They should have watched over how they spent money over there, watched the salaries, and became more proactive about fixing the schools,” he said.

Incumbent Steve Thomas has been on the board since 1979.

The biggest change he’s seen over the years is the rise of state mandates, which have made balancing the budget increasingly difficult.

“The state is not living up to their part of the bargain,” he said. “We’ve gone from like $900,000 to $6 million in retirement expenses.”

His 40 years of experience with the district are an asset when it comes to deciding how to face its challenges, he said.

“I bring experience, and a calm attitude,” he said.