The quality of education and how much it costs are the most important issues facing Dallastown Area School District, candidates running for school board said.

  • "The kids are the most important thing," Sue Heistand said.

    Running the district is a matter of cost versus education, she said.

    "It's a balance between education value . . . so it doesn't become a burden to the taxpayers, said Heistand, 43, a marketing representative.

    School administrators must be held accountable for budget expenditures, she said.

    Heistand also said she would promote community involvement in district decisions.

  • Margaret Ibex, who did not give her age, said she retired from the Baltimore County, Md., public school system and works as a part-time bank teller.

    Ibex said she's attended Springfield Township and Dallastown Area School Board meetings.

    "I feel concerned about the high property tax," she said.

    Emphasis in spending should be put on need over want, she said, and added that the new intermediate school "didn't have to be quite as expensive."

    Ibex also said the district should be more open and transparent.

  • Don Jasmann said he has attended the district's school board meetings for about 10 years and participated on committees including the strategic planning committee.

    Jasmann, 52, an engineering manager, is a member of the Youth Aid Panel -- associated with the York County juvenile probation department -- for Dallastown.

    The increase in

    Advertisement
    taxes is a serious issue in the district, he said.

    "We have out-of-control spending," he said. School programs should be proven beneficial before any monies are spent, he said.

    Jasmann also said the district should work closely with local municipalities and that it could have saved money in the building of the new intermediate school.

  • Brian Larson, 45, an airline pilot, said he's been an advocate of the district's parent teacher association and a classroom volunteer. He also tutored children and adults.

    Maintaining the quality of the school system without letting taxes spiral out of control is a concern, he said.

    "When I go around knocking on doors, it's about money . . . kids," he said of what district residents share with him when he campaigns for the school board. "I'm really just trying to help . . . do what's best for the kids and the tax payers."

    Larson also said more open dialogue is needed at school board meetings.

  • Revenue, expenditures and the economy are key factors the school board must address, said Kenneth Potter Jr., 48.

    As president of Martin's Potato Chips, Potter said he would offer sound business decisions -- including an improvement in outcome and reduction in cost -- in helping to run the school district.

    "I'd bring to the board an experience in the business world," he said.

    The district must keep school curriculum relevant to current occupational demands, Potter said. Education must change with the world but can't fall prey to fads, he said.

    Additionally, extra-curricular activities should not be targeted solely for budget cuts, he said.

  • Lauren Rock, 42, is a teacher's aid for Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12.

    She's a former PTO co-president for York Township Elementary and was on the steering committee for the district's new intermediate school.

    "You still need to have high expectations for children," Rock said. But fiscal responsibility is also important she said. "We have great teachers and great administrators . . . They're good at educating the whole child."

    Rock also said extracurricular activities are important and can provide a student with lifelong lessons.

    "Not everybody is college-bound," she said. "But everybody's got a talent."

  • Larry Wolfe said the district is "$102 million in debt."

    "That's a concern," he said.

    Wolfe, 71, who is retired, said he's also been a regular at school board meetings and was on the Act 1 tax study commission for Dallastown's school board.

    He said the district's budget growth exceeds the rate of tax growth. "You can't continue with that economic model," he said.

    Wolfe said taxes should not increase at the rate set by the state Department of Education, but should "reflect the consumer price index."

    Wolfe also said the district shouldn't be broken into regions for school board members.

    RACES BY REGION

    There are contested races for Dallastown Area School Board in all three of the district's regions. The election is Tuesday.

    Region 1: Kenneth Potter, Lauren Rock and Larry Wolfe are competing for two seats.

    Region 2: Sue Heistand and Don Jasmann are competing for one seat.

    Region 3: Margaret Ibex and Brian Larson are competing for one seat.

  • Read more about the candidates in the online voters' guide at http://ydr.inyork.com/ydr/guide