Moniteau School District
Moniteau School District voters have eight candidates from which to choose in the May 21 primary.
They are running for five seats on the school board.
All of the eight candidates cross-filed for both Republican and Democrat ballots and will appear on both parties' ballots.
Eric Anderson, Randy Armagost and Diane Hunter are running for reelection. Jane Baker, Matthew Zietz, Mark DeMatteis, Jennifer Rottman and Michael Baptiste would be joining the board.
The top five vote-getters from each party will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. It is possible that all eight will make it to that ballot, as a candidate needs only to place in the top five in one party's results to make it through.
The winning five in the general election will take their seats in December for a four-year term.
Residence: Eau Claire BoroughEducation: Kittaning High School, attended Butler County Community College and Anderson CollegeOccupation: Housewife, board member at Moniteau and the vo-tech, school volunteer and judge of elections in Eau Claire BoroughFamily: Husband, Dave; four children; and two granddaughtersTop Issue: Hunter wants to continue supporting and providing education for students' needs in curriculum, technology and vocational. Board members need to work with administrators to find ways to balance budgets and being physically responsible in maintaining and upgrading improvements to buildings to avoid taxpayer burdens. Hunter said they need to keep looking for positive ways to manage tech safety and security. The board needs to be more effective in communication with staff and the community, she said.
Residence: Clay TownshipEducation: Deer Lakes High School and Butler County Community CollegeOccupation: District managerFamily: Married with four childrenTop Issue: Zietz called for a climate of transparency, receptiveness and honesty. He said the district needs inventive ways to cut costs without sacrificing educational quality. Zietz said he plans on spending time in the schools during school hours talking with staff and observing. The district, he said, needs morale improvement and positive, respectful, knowledgeable and moral leaders. He says we need to focus on the whole child, not just the Common Core part of a child.
Residence:Clay TownshipEducation: Doctorate of education in management and leadershipOccupation: Online business professor for Grand Canyon and Upper Iowa universitiesFamily: Wife, Heather, and three childrenTop Issue: Baptiste said he is looking for increased administrative accountability. He wants teachers to have more ownership in decision-making processes and more emphasis on classroom/vocational success and less on state test scores. He called for a new culture of trust, cooperation and communication between school boards, administrators and teachers. He said his wife is a teacher at Dassa, he is friends with many teachers and staff and he has children in the district, and, therefore, is aware of the issues and how to resolve them.
No response was received.
Residence: West Sunbury BoroughEducation: Graduate of Slippery Rock High SchoolOccupation: Administrator for the weatherization programFamily: Four childrenTop Issue: Anderson said the single biggest issue right now is school security for teachers, administrators and students. The district implemented school police last year, but it's an ongoing process. Anderson said they've made a lot of improvements, but still have a ways to go.
Residence: Hilliards in Venango TownshipEducation: An associate degreeOccupation: Eau Claire Borough AdministratorFamily: Husband, Bob, and three daughtersTop Issue: Rottman said there isn't one defining issue, but wants to focus on “students as a whole.” They need to watch ever-changing student needs, security policies and to make sure students are prepared for life. Wants opportunities to excel in academics, extra-curricular activities, athletics and life skills. She said the board needs to work together well to get a picture of the whole student body and make good decisions for all students.
Residence: Cherry TownshipEducation: Bachelor's degree in business administration from Slippery Rock UniversityOccupation: Owner of Annandale Country StationFamily: Wife, Stacey, and three sonsTop Issue: Armagost said the reason he's running for reelection is that the district has a number of building remodeling projects taking place over the next few years. That's a large capital expense and he wants to remain a part of the process.
Residence: Boyers, Marion TownshipEducation: Moniteau High School, Sharon School of Broadcasting, associate degree in liberal arts from Butler County Community CollegeOccupation: Retired from office of personnel managementFamily: Wife, Tina, and three childrenTop Issue: DeMatteis said children have to come first. Education, plus safety during transportation and during the school day are top priorities, he said. He supports more anti-bullying programs. He wants to encourage participation in drama and sports, plus establish a sports hall of fame. He said he wanted no tax increase, but increased transparency, between the board and district.
