Sparks fly between 2 candidates in Greensburg Salem school board race

The vice president of the Greensburg Salem school board and a challenger are verbally sparring before Tuesday’s primary election.

Jeffrey Metrosky, the incumbent, is pushing back at campaign materials attributed to Citizens Concerned About Education in Greensburg Salem. The flier endorses challenger Autumn Jevicky while criticizing Metrosky for voting in favor of a 2020-21 budget that cut some district programs, including libraries and elementary band. That budget held the line on property taxes.

Lynn Jobe and Lynna Thomas, incumbents also seeking re-election, were among a three-member minority who opposed the budget.

District administrators have proposed a 2021-22 budget that would restore the band program but leave trimmed library staffing as is, while keeping taxes unchanged.

Jevicky, 41, of Greensburg, said she was not responsible for the flier. She said she was contacted by a representative of the citizens group and agrees with its general sentiments.

Metrosky said the assertions about his voting record are inaccurate. It charges that he voted to “shut down” some school libraries and to “eliminate elementary band and instrumental music education.”

Metrosky acknowledged some positions were eliminated through attrition and related reassignments. He said there were no takers when the district tried to hire someone to take over elementary band under a supplemental contract, and he supports restoring that program.

Metrosky said no school libraries have been closed, but a middle school librarian and two others at elementary libraries were transferred to fill vacant posts.

“The libraries are open and still being used,” he said.

Jevicky argued that libraries don’t have the same value without librarians to teach students research skills.

Metrosky contended the flier descended into “gutter politics” in criticizing him for sending his high school son to a private school. The flier suggested the private school offers “resources (Metrosky) failed to provide our students.”

Metrosky said his son lost access to a vocational welding program when he switched schools. He said he reluctantly agreed to the transfer because his son was concerned he would draw flak from peers at Greensburg Salem as a result of Metrosky’s decisions on the school board.

“My son wanted to have an event-free, happy senior year,” Metrosky said.

Jevicky countered that school directors should show support for combating bullying at school rather than avoiding it.