School News
- Last Updated on Thursday, 16 May 2013 17:10
By Paul Chasko
Dateline: May 7, 2013
Fourteen candidates are vying for seven spots on the nine member Ringgold School Board of Directors. Terms end in 2013 for Mr. William Stein Jr., Mr. Christopher Carroll, Mrs. Carol Flament, Mr. Lawrence L. Mauro, Mrs. Maureen Ott, Mr. Charles Smith and Mr. Robert Smith. Terms of Mrs. Mariann Bulko (current president) and Mr. Gene Kennedy extend through 2015. Sixteen candidates originally filed petitions but records show that Gwendaline St. Cyr (Union Twp.) and Gail Glanemine (Eighty Four) withdrew their petitions before the deadline.
On May 7th the Area Council of PTA’s sponsored a “Meet the Candidates Forum” in the cafeteria of the Ringgold High School. It was lightly attended considering the important issues that will be facing the new board in 2014 and beyond - not the least of which is to determine the best way to replace the existing Ringgold Middle School building (formerly known as Finley Middle School).
Candidates at the forum were:
Donald Bartoe (D – Donora)
Elizabeth Bough (R – Nottingham)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
James Dodd (D – Monongahela)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Jason Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Charles Smith (D – New Eagle)
Robert Smith (R – New Eagle)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Frank Turko (R – Union Twp.)
Candidates absent from the Forum due to prior commitments were; Sherrie Garry and Matti Gruzs.
The forum was orderly and the candidates were given opportunity to introduce themselves and to respond to several questions submitted in writing by the attendees. The responses highlighted concerns of the individual candidates that they hoped to address if elected. All had positive ideas on moving the Ringgold School District forward. Their ideas included the following.
• The district needs a Curriculum Coordinator.
• We need to bring fresh ideas into the board and problem solving skills.
• Students need to be better prepared to move into industry.
• We need accountability at all levels of the administration.
• We need to move Ringgold forward.
• The board needs to stop micro-managing the administration.
• The district needs to better prepare those students not going on to college.
• Have honors classes returned to the curriculum.
• Move the district toward cyber-schooling – we need a cyber-school coordinator.
• Get parents more involved in their children’s education.
• Provide more positive support for our teachers.
• The Ringgold board seems like the biggest circus in Washington County – that has to change.
• The district needs career days.
• Respect for the board has been lost – we need to put the same passion into education as we have put in the building issue.
• The district is divided – its needs to be brought together again.
• The district needs to advance in its ranking with other PA districts.
The final question submitted to the candidates asked pointedly where each stood on the issue of replacing the aging Ringgold Middle School. Their responses left little doubt where each stood on the issue.
Favoring New construction were Bartoe, Carroll, Flament, Gerard, Ott, and Stein.
Favoring renovation of the old Monongahela and Donora Elementary buildings were C. Smith, R. Smith, Brough, Dodd, Mauro, and Turko.
With the candidates having clearly expressed where they stand on the Middle School issue and with a good voter turnout, the selection of candidates may be as effective as a referendum in determining how the majority of voters feel about the issue. We may know by the end of May whether the majority of residents in the Ringgold School District prefer to have their taxes channeled into a new middle school building in Carroll Twp. or into the renovation of two old buildings in Monongahela and Donora that have been closed for nearly a year and are in very poor condition.
Below are the seats sought by the candidates (nearly all are cross-filing for more than one seat).
Region I Donora, and portions of Carroll Twp.
One Director for a 4 year term
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Donald A. Bartoe (D – Donora)
Region II Monongahela, New Eagle and part of Carroll Twp.
One Director for a 4 year term
Robert Smith (R – New Eagle)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Matti Gruzs (D – Monongahela)*
Sherrie Garry (D – Monongahela)*
Region III Union and Nottingham Twps. and Finleyville
One Director for a 4 year term
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Frank Turko (R – UnionTwp.)
At–Large Director
Three directors for a 4 year term
Charles Smith (D – New Eagle)
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
Sherrie Garry (D – Monongahela)*
Donald Bartoe (D – Donora)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham)
Elizabeth Brough (R – Nottingham)
James Dodd (D – Monongahela)
At-Large Director
One Director for a Two-year term
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
William Stein (D – Carroll Twp.)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.)
* Candidates not present at the May 7 forum
Dateline: May 7, 2013
Fourteen candidates are vying for seven spots on the nine member Ringgold School Board of Directors. Terms end in 2013 for Mr. William Stein Jr., Mr. Christopher Carroll, Mrs. Carol Flament, Mr. Lawrence L. Mauro, Mrs. Maureen Ott, Mr. Charles Smith and Mr. Robert Smith. Terms of Mrs. Mariann Bulko (current president) and Mr. Gene Kennedy extend through 2015. Sixteen candidates originally filed petitions but records show that Gwendaline St. Cyr (Union Twp.) and Gail Glanemine (Eighty Four) withdrew their petitions before the deadline.
On May 7th the Area Council of PTA’s sponsored a “Meet the Candidates Forum” in the cafeteria of the Ringgold High School. It was lightly attended considering the important issues that will be facing the new board in 2014 and beyond - not the least of which is to determine the best way to replace the existing Ringgold Middle School building (formerly known as Finley Middle School).
Candidates at the forum were:
Donald Bartoe (D – Donora)
Elizabeth Bough (R – Nottingham)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
James Dodd (D – Monongahela)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Jason Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Charles Smith (D – New Eagle)
Robert Smith (R – New Eagle)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Frank Turko (R – Union Twp.)
Candidates absent from the Forum due to prior commitments were; Sherrie Garry and Matti Gruzs.
The forum was orderly and the candidates were given opportunity to introduce themselves and to respond to several questions submitted in writing by the attendees. The responses highlighted concerns of the individual candidates that they hoped to address if elected. All had positive ideas on moving the Ringgold School District forward. Their ideas included the following.
• The district needs a Curriculum Coordinator.
• We need to bring fresh ideas into the board and problem solving skills.
• Students need to be better prepared to move into industry.
• We need accountability at all levels of the administration.
• We need to move Ringgold forward.
• The board needs to stop micro-managing the administration.
• The district needs to better prepare those students not going on to college.
• Have honors classes returned to the curriculum.
• Move the district toward cyber-schooling – we need a cyber-school coordinator.
• Get parents more involved in their children’s education.
• Provide more positive support for our teachers.
• The Ringgold board seems like the biggest circus in Washington County – that has to change.
• The district needs career days.
• Respect for the board has been lost – we need to put the same passion into education as we have put in the building issue.
• The district is divided – its needs to be brought together again.
• The district needs to advance in its ranking with other PA districts.
The final question submitted to the candidates asked pointedly where each stood on the issue of replacing the aging Ringgold Middle School. Their responses left little doubt where each stood on the issue.
Favoring New construction were Bartoe, Carroll, Flament, Gerard, Ott, and Stein.
Favoring renovation of the old Monongahela and Donora Elementary buildings were C. Smith, R. Smith, Brough, Dodd, Mauro, and Turko.
With the candidates having clearly expressed where they stand on the Middle School issue and with a good voter turnout, the selection of candidates may be as effective as a referendum in determining how the majority of voters feel about the issue. We may know by the end of May whether the majority of residents in the Ringgold School District prefer to have their taxes channeled into a new middle school building in Carroll Twp. or into the renovation of two old buildings in Monongahela and Donora that have been closed for nearly a year and are in very poor condition.
Below are the seats sought by the candidates (nearly all are cross-filing for more than one seat).
Region I Donora, and portions of Carroll Twp.
One Director for a 4 year term
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Donald A. Bartoe (D – Donora)
Region II Monongahela, New Eagle and part of Carroll Twp.
One Director for a 4 year term
Robert Smith (R – New Eagle)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Matti Gruzs (D – Monongahela)*
Sherrie Garry (D – Monongahela)*
Region III Union and Nottingham Twps. and Finleyville
One Director for a 4 year term
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Frank Turko (R – UnionTwp.)
At–Large Director
Three directors for a 4 year term
Charles Smith (D – New Eagle)
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
William Stein Jr. (D – Carroll Twp.)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
Sherrie Garry (D – Monongahela)*
Donald Bartoe (D – Donora)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham)
Elizabeth Brough (R – Nottingham)
James Dodd (D – Monongahela)
At-Large Director
One Director for a Two-year term
Larry Mauro (D – Donora)
Carol Flament (D – Monongahela)
Christopher Carroll (R – New Eagle)
William Stein (D – Carroll Twp.)
Maureen Ott (R – Nottingham Twp.)
Jason H. Gerard (R – Nottingham Twp.)
* Candidates not present at the May 7 forum
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