Voters will elect four Butler School District directors in the Nov. 5 election from among six candidates: Alvin Vavro, John Conrad, Neil Convery, David Korn, Charles Tanner and Arthur Haag.

The Butler Eagle posed three questions to the candidates.

QUESTION: Why are you running for election?

VAVRO: I’m currently a retired Butler taxpayer and school volunteer. A lifelong resident of Butler, I’m well aware of the district’s history and the demographic changes that have occurred.

I was educated in the Butler schools and participated in its music program.

As a teacher and administrator, I was actively involved in adapting and customizing learning for the district’s diverse student population.

My son was educated in the Butler schools and participated in its sports programs, resulting in my strong parental perspective.

CONRAD: I have lived in Butler nearly my entire life. I, my wife, my children, all have graduated from Butler, not to mention many relatives. I have a vested interest in maintaining the excellence in education that we have worked hard to create and so many of our children currently enjoy (and so many take for granted). There is a faction in our community that desires to destroy what we have under the banner of fiscal responsibility. I believe that we can be fiscally responsible and provide a top notch education for our community. Admittedly, this is not easy or painless, but we must be careful and diligent.

CONVERY: I am running for election as I seek to be a servant to this community in this very important role. As an educational product of this school who has professional experience in state level government and a parent of current BASD students, I believe I will bring a fresh perspective to the board. I desire the best possible education for our students and want every decision made to be done with the greatest respect to the community that supports this school district.

KORN: No response.

TANNER: School board is a lot of work. I’ve been on the school board. Since, I have attended meetings and have made comments. I’ve taught in public schools and as a Navy instructor. I’ve worked in Harrisburg for the government and know the legislative and administrative branches. I have a graduate degree in public affairs. I have empathy for the student: those in the middle, those that excel and those that struggle.

HAAG: Our Butler School District needs more responsible voices to guide the direction we will take to meet the everyday challenges.

QUESTION: What are your top three priorities if you win election?

VAVRO: 1. Fiscal responsibility — It’s essential to continue to analyze and prioritize all spending in an effort to reach a balanced budget.

2. Explore new and creative funding sources. This could include the continued application for appropriate educational grants along with corporate foundation monies and advertising.

3. An ongoing update of the district’s vision and curriculum to provide a quality education for all students and inspire excellence in academics in preparation for future careers.

CONRAD: 1. We must find a more equitable way to fund cyber/charter schools. It is quite clear that they enjoy an over abundance of money at the expense of our school district and ultimately our taxpayers. What better example can we see when the founder of a prominent cyber school is indicted on a charge of allegedly embezzling millions of dollars.

2. We must continue to have safe schools. Safe from attack from the outside (such as armed policemen) and inside (addressing the bullying issue at every chance).

3. We must strive to make every student successful.

CONVERY: My goal is to work toward BASD having the best education in the state, fiscally responsible budgets, and a community that supportively surrounds our schools with its time and talent. We must demand that our kids are provided every opportunity to learn and have engaging, dynamic educational experiences here in Butler.

KORN: No response.

TANNER: 1. Safety and bullying are concerns. I propose neighborhood monitors where kids walk. Let the monitors, the parents, have a discount on their tax as an incentive.

2. For long-range planning, have an advisory committee to the board. Composed of former board members, unsuccessful candidates, PTA members, former school administrators and teachers, students and others.

3. “Master” teachers should assist faculty to be better. Nepotism within the system should be curtailed.

HAAG: My priority will be to foster effective communication within our Butler school community.

QUESTION: How much weight should school boards place on the new state-based rankings of schools called School Performance Profile?

VAVRO: We can’t overreact nor underreact to rankings. The profile data should be analyzed and used to customize lesson design and curriculum.

Many factors impact a student’s academic progress. The scores don’t take into consideration critical outside factors that influence a student’s performance, such as: socio-economic status, life stressors, and the importance that students and parents place on the educational process.

CONRAD: While School Performance Profile is a noble attempt to rate schools more fairly, it is still a ranking and scoring of schools. The next step would be to adjust funding based on these rankings. This is where things break down. Our legislators seem to fail to understand that even lower ranking schools may be adequately educating students. Time and effort would be better spent trying to focus on schools that are not meeting the students’ needs and remediating those schools. Successful education is a three-legged stool, where success requires effort from the student, the parents, and the school district. Without all 3 factors working together, the student’s education will suffer.

CONVERY: I believe we should welcome the new ranking system as it appears to finally be about more than just standardized test scores. The recent rankings show great accomplishments, but also identify important areas that need to be improved upon. These new profiles can be taken seriously because they take into consideration multiple areas of education.

KORN: No response.

TANNER: Let the teachers teach! Improving the public school system is not accomplished by statewide testing. It comes from within the district. Those involved with public education should know what’s on the test.

HAAG: The new school performance profile (SPP) is designed to look at multiple factors and not just the Keystone Test scores as the AYP did. Our schools will now get a more reliable measurement by looking at several factors. However, one composite test score alone still will not tell you what is going on in our schools. Harrisburg has not perfected this program. Use the SPP only when its ready, not before.