How do Centre County school board candidates view district finances, tax increases?
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2025 primary election: Centre County school board races
The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey to all Centre County school board candidates with questions about a number of issues. Read their responses below, and remember to vote in the May 20 primary election.
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How do Centre County school board candidates view district finances, tax increases?
Editor’s note: The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey with questions about a number of issues to all school board candidates who filed to run in the May 2025 primary election. Seventeen candidates participated, while eight did not. We have published their unedited responses, which were limited to fewer than 300 words each. We will publish additional responses in other stories.
As May’s primary election approaches quickly, the Centre Daily Times surveyed school board candidates across Centre County to share their positions on school funding, budgets and financial responsibility.
School board members in districts across Pennsylvania are tasked each year with approving annual budgets and evaluating changes to real estate taxes and funding. As recently as 2023, roughly 490 of Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts voted to raise property taxes to help keep up with rising costs. Some districts in Centre County are already eyeing significant tax increases for the upcoming budget year.
We asked candidates how they would work to ensure financial stability for their respective districts. Their unedited responses are published below.
State College Area School District candidates
Deborah Anderson — As a current school director, one of my priorities is financial responsibility: The school board should help ensure that monetary resources are used efficiently and effectively, so that we can provide the best opportunities to our students and support our faculty and staff without overburdening taxpayers. In general, my preference is to raise taxes as little as possible without sacrificing the quality of the education we provide. In addition, we need to plan for long term budgets in order to be prepared for larger capital projects like the addition to Mount Nittany Elementary School and the building of a new Park Forest Middle School. Budget considerations are especially important in the current economic and political climate, given recent levels of inflation and uncertainty about federal support for education.
Rebecca Arnold Desmarais — Our Finance department works extremely hard to project the budget for the next ten years and works to stay close or within the budget. Maintaining a balanced and stable budget is important to ensure that the district has employees, classroom resources, and building facilities to create a healthy learning environment. I look forward to working with the finance department and the other school board members to learn about how our budget is created and maintained.
Jesse Barlow — The pressures on SCASD’s budget are many. This year, when they are slated to do a 4% tax increase, that pressure is almost entirely personnel costs, which make up 70-75% of the budget. Also, the funds that SCASD received for pandemic recovery have been spent. Increases in the next few years are projected to be smaller — in the 2% range — again, mostly personnel. The goal should be structural balance, and this looks like a prudent path.
During two years during the pandemic, SCASD had no tax increases at all, and after that some small increases. Given the inflation coming out of pandemic, the modesty of these increases is remarkable. Some municipal budgets and the Centre Region CoG budgets have increased more. That shows that SCASD has been very responsible in its budgeting.
Jennifer Black — We are very fortunate to be in a situation where only a very small percentage of our budget comes from federal funds, which are currently not guaranteed. That being said, the majority of our funding is generated locally (most through real estate taxes), so it is imperative that we use our taxpayers’ dollars wisely. I believe the current board and district have done a great job of focusing on building projects and increasing staff, most recently by adding additional special education teachers and a school psychologist. I would also like to see us expanding our partnerships with the community members and with Penn State University to be able to provide even more opportunities for our students and teachers. There are many untapped, sometimes even free, local resources we could be utilizing in our schools. While keeping taxes low is the goal, the fact remains that education costs money. Hiring and retaining excellent staff is a priority, and our teachers deserve to be paid a competitive wage.
Jackie Huff — I would continue to work with the district finance office to understand the needs of the district and support actions that make financial sense (both in the long and short term). The district’s largest expense is the salaries it pays to its staff, and they deserve the salary raises that are part of their contracts. Consumables, services, and facility projects are also always increasing in price. I am not shy about the fact that the district could potentially need to raise taxes in any given year, but I’m also not interested in raising taxes just so we can increase our revenue.
Kirsten McTernan — If elected, I will work to make sure that preparation and approval of expenditures and budgets are done in an open and transparent manner. I will listen to our community members and build consensus on what the district’s priorities are to help develop a plan that respects the taxpayers in our community, while ensuring our students, teachers, and staff have what they need.
Mihaly Sogor — One of my top priorities is to evaluate the budget line by line to identify potential waste and opportunities for savings. Even when an expense is justified, it’s essential that taxpayers understand its value so they don’t feel burdened or taken advantage of by the costs we impose.
Bellefonte Area School District candidates
Nate Campbell — As a board member, the budget is one of the top jobs we are tasked with. I take pride that Bellefonte has been able to keep tax raises around half or less of what the state allows us to raise them. Costs are going up for everyone and the district is not immune to this. We are always looking for ways to save money and improve efficiencies to get the most bang for our buck while still delivering a quality education. Since I have been on the board, we have started to set money aside for future facility needs so that our residents do not feel a sudden burden when things need fixed or replaced. Sound planning and an eye to the future will allow the district to remain in a good position.
Jon Guizar — Continue to foster and monitor a culture of fiscal responsibility where departments are commended for not spending all money allocated but returning unused dollars back to the following year’s budget collaboration process.
Kristin Lyons — As a candidate for school board and a current school board member, I recognize that approving and managing the district’s budget is an important job for board members. I will approach this with transparency and ensure that our budget reflects the needs of our students.
Joe Yech — Funding is important to all school districts. There is uncertainty right now with the status of the US Department of Education and what effects will be felt at the local level. We need to be diligent with taxpayer money we have and not spend outside our means, sticking to a balanced budget each year. I have experience working to a budget through my career training and will bring that experience to the board, if elected.
Board candidate Jack Bechdel, who will still appear on the primary ballot because the filing deadline has passed, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman in early April and resigned from the district’s school board days later. He said he would not participate in the survey. Holly Hopkins was appointed to fill his seat and has launched a write-in campaign for the primary election.
Penns Valley Area School District candidates
Daniel Decker — I will work with administration and board members to identify areas of the budget that can be reformed. It is crucial that any reforms to the budget, not harm the curriculum. One of the goals of budget reform should be to work to lower the real estate tax burden on district residents. Another objective of budget reform should be to lower administrative salary costs to bring PVASD admin salaries within the salary band of PA rural school district averages for admin positions. PVASD school district debt also needs to be addressed. There should be no further construction projects until Penns Valley school district debt is retired. Routine building maintenance would be exempted from the “no new construction” goal.
Amber May — It is clear that financial stability in the coming term will not only be one of the most important priorities for all school boards, but also one of the most complex. If elected, I will advocate for an evaluation of current spending and identification of cost-saving opportunities that do not compromise the quality of students’ educational experience. I will also aim to explore innovative sources of funding such as grants and partnerships to ease the burden on local taxpayers. Furthermore, I believe that communication with the local community is imperative in any decision-making, and I will aim to share information openly and create accessible channels for citizens to share their feedback. The relatively small population of our district provides an excellent opportunity for collaboration, and my goal as a school board representative is to ensure that every citizen can be informed and contribute to the decision-making process.
Mike Pase — I’m always told by school board members that there is nowhere to cut the budget because all the costs are fixed. It appears that the school board are the ones that “fix” the costs by agreeing to the contracts set before them. I administer multimillion-dollar contracts for a living. I hope to have the opportunity to make some adjustments to these school contracts, and in so doing so, we can “fix” some permanent cost savings. I do want to make it clear that the teacher’s salaries are not the contracts I am referring to. I feel it is important to make sure the teachers’ salaries are competitive so we can hire and retain good, quality teachers.
Jessica Shawver — Our district has a problem with wasteful spending. I would make sure to take a close look at items coming in that money is “needing” spent on. Whereas I agree there are things that a district should spend money on to benefit our kids’ future, there are some things that simply are a luxury and not a necessity. Administrative salaries are also much higher than they need to be for the work they produce.
Kendyl Wittenrich — Recognizing the complexity and importance of budgeting, Penns Valley has strong systems in place to ensure financial stability. These systems have kept Penns Valley’s taxes the lowest in Centre County, while providing our students a first-rate education and equipping them with the skills they need to succeed both within and beyond the classroom.
If elected to the board, I look forward to building on this strong foundation and learning from those who have come before me. I also look forward to collaborating with current board members, who each bring unique experiences and expertise to the shared mission of approving a budget. Together, I hope to continue the tradition of academic excellence while keeping an open mind to new and innovative methods that may benefit the district.
In my 13th year as an educator, I contribute a “boots on the ground” perspective. My experience will be particularly valuable when considering the purchase of curricula and other learning materials. I have a comprehensive understanding of what is necessary to provide students a quality education, and I will advocate for those resources. On the flip side, I can easily identify budget items that may be unnecessary or redundant to achieve our educational goals. Above all, I will advocate for fiscal responsibility and accountability in district spending.
Filed candidates Douglas Roth and Vincent Nicosia did not respond to the Centre Daily Times’ survey.
Bald Eagle Area School District candidates
This district’s four filed candidates — Tina Greene, Mary Ann Hamilton, Mark Kresovich and Timothy Nilson — did not respond to the Centre Daily Times’ survey.
Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District candidates
Richard Wood — Provide the best for our students within our means.
No candidate has filed to run for the Philipsburg-Oceola Area School District’s two Centre County-based school board seats. Richard Wood and Shawnna Baney-Shaw have filed to run for the district’s seats up for election in Clearfield County and were invited to respond to this survey.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 12:50 PM.
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