With less than a month until the Nov. 2 election, incumbent Christine Valenta is taking herself out of the running for another term on the Mars Area School Board.

“I think it's highly unusual for someone to withdraw their name, but these are highly unusual times and circumstances,” she said. “As a board member, you volunteer your time. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to participate in public service, and I'm thankful to everybody who supported me.”

She cites the increased political polarization of the board as a main factor in her decision.

“I am committed to the kids, I'm committed to quality education. What has changed is the degree of political polarization on this board,” she said. “It just seems like we can never get to the students. There's just way too much politics in the boardroom.”

Valenta joins three other incumbent board members who will not be on the ballot in November: Dayle Ferguson, Gordon Marburger and Rita Doersch.

Exiting the ballot

A resident of Adams Township for 23 years and a school board member since 2012, Valenta joined the board because she was passionate about improving education in the district.

“I ran because I was committed to wanting to improve (the district),” she said. “I was seeing what kind of education my daughter was getting at Mars and what kids in our community were receiving, and I felt like there was a real need.”

She made the decision to withdraw from the ballot during five weeks she spent in Dallas this past summer, during which she was calling in to school board meetings remotely.

“I was out of the area, and I really had time to reflect,” she said. “The time away and the time to reflect and the time to talk to a number of people … I think it's the best decision for me. My family couldn't be more happy. They're ecstatic. They are truly thrilled. They are very excited, and that says a lot.”

Valenta was one of six candidates running for four open school board seats this year in the district. The remaining five are Justin Miller, Jennifer DiCuccio, Lee Ann Riner, Jennifer Stuber and Nicole Thurner.

Valenta said on Election Day, she plans to work supporting Riner, DiCuccio, Stuber and Thurner.

“I think the four female candidates are outstanding,” Valenta said. “They have really varied backgrounds and expertise in areas that don't exist on the board.”

'I haven't changed'

Valenta is a registered Republican and said she votes Republican in every election. Over the past months, she was surprised to see that others were positioning her as “not really a Republican” because of her support for wearing masks.

“I know it's a lot to ask for teachers and students to wear masks all day,” she said. “But if it even saves one student from getting sick, or God forbid, ending up in the hospital, it's got to be worth it.”

Valenta shared data about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics at a school board meeting in August prior to the state mask mandate.

She said her choice to speak in support of masks did not go over well with other board members.

“If I'm asking myself how is this going to look to the public versus what's best for the kids, I think we have to step back,” she said. “For me, I'm there for the kids and the community, and it's a no-brainer. Safety should be priority number one before anything else.

“If I'm having to make that decision where my political views are at a higher priority than the safety of the kids — wow. That's all I'm going to say about that.”

She emphasized that her political views have not changed. She still considers herself to be a Republican. Instead of her changing her views, she said, the board has become more polarized.

“I walked into a situation where I wasn't aware how political things were going to be, and I don't know whether anyone 10 years ago would know how political things were going to become,” she said.

Tension inside, outside

Valenta said she felt other school board members, along with community members, have supported a narrative about her that is inaccurate.

“What was shared (about me) was: 'I have changed, I'm not really a Republican, I'm a masker,'” she said. “As I chose to express in public my concerns and provide details and facts, other people in the boardroom didn't like that.”

In 2015, Valenta suffered cardiac arrest and had to be flown to a hospital. Her lower leg later was amputated due to blood clotting, and she said that throughout the process, board members were supportive of her situation.

“We get to now, and things are a little different because everyone is so politically divided,” she said. “I don't think I'd quite get the support now, which is sad.”

Beyond the sense of disagreement within the board, Valenta said input from the community toward the school board is more polarized than ever. While she has not received any actual threats, she said that she's heard “horrifying” stories about other school boards around the state.

She recalled a September Mars Area School Board meeting at which a community member referred to board members as “terrorists” during his public comment against masking.

“I'm sitting five feet from the gentleman, and I'm looking back at the security guard, and I'm thinking, 'There's no way he can get up here in time,'” she said. “We have people telling us which way to exit the room in the event of an emergency. It is nuts.

“Our whole nation is more polarized and divided than ever.”

During the primary elections in May, Valenta said her family members, who were volunteering with her campaign, were “shocked” by the behavior of some voters.

“They weren't necessarily harassed, but the behavior was so different from the behavior of the people in the community that we live in,” she said. “Everybody has stories to tell about the behavior that they saw at certain polling sites.”

Moving forward

Valenta said another reason she chose not to run was that she didn't feel comfortable sitting on a board with some of the candidates — which she did not identify — whom she believes hold more extreme beliefs.

“I can't imagine four years of being in a room with more of that,” she said. “Knowing that there is a candidate that remains on the ballot with such extreme political views who potentially could get elected ... it would have been really difficult for me to sit across from that person. That's not a candidate that has the character, maturity or ethics that are essential for a school board director.”

She hopes the board is able to move toward the center in the future, and said she believes in Superintendent Mark Gross.

“I was hoping that there would be enough change that the board would be able to come back to the center again,” she said. “I hope for the district's sake and the students' sake that they're able to come back to the middle and work together.”

If the board is able to become less polarized, she says, she has more hope for the future of the district.

“I think there is great potential in this district to continue and grow and strengthen the students that graduate from the district,” she said. “I think that with the existing board members and those that are coming in, if they work well together, and if the division goes away, there isn't anything that can't be accomplished.”

For now, she said she is confident in her decision. She no longer has children in the district, and after she leaves the board, she doesn't plan to attend future school board meetings.

“I will be watching from a distance and if someone needs help, I would happy to be involved, but otherwise it's time for everybody who is leaving ... to completely cut ties and let go,” she said. “They've had their opportunity to influence the district. It's time to let the new board lead the district.”