Nine seek 4 seats on Greater Johnstown School Board

May 14—Nine candidates, all cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican tickets, are seeking four at-large positions on the Greater Johnstown School Board.

Michael Allen, John DeBartola, Robin Kmetz, Lonnie Rietscha, Missy Spaugy and Saki Taranto are running, as are incumbents Tony Belskey, Edwin J. Mikesic and Leland Wood.

Here's a look at the candidates in alphabetical order:

—Allen is a former Somerset County resident who relocated to the district in 2008 and is a retired Family Dollar manager and training manager.

His goals are to "provide the best educational opportunities as possible for all students," provide teachers with the best tools, be fiscally responsible and acknowledge community needs.

If elected, he said, he'd bring his business experience and ability to interact with diverse groups to the table along with his knowledge of the Greater Johnstown population, which he gained from serving on the city police, fire and civil service board.

The Moxham resident also serves on the municipal renaissance board and is an active member of the Moxham Neighborhood Group.

—Belskey was appointed to the board earlier this year when Jason Moore resigned. Belskey is the AAABA Tournament chairman and a retired Wolf Furniture manager who resides in Roxbury.

"The biggest goal, and I believe everyone on the board right now has the same goal, is getting the best education possible for the students in the Johnstown school district," Belskey said.

He applied for the open position because he wanted to give back to the area and said that's why he's running for one of the seats.

—DeBartola said he's running because he is interested in serving the community.

"We must respect the rights of parents, students and teachers in order to have a community that works together to support education that helps the students succeed in life," he said.

The Walnut Grove resident is a social worker who's been involved with the Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts of America and is the president of the Alliance/Gaylife Newsletter. DeBartola is a community activist and has been outspoken about district issues.

—Kmetz is originally from the Boston, Massachusetts, area. She relocated to Johnstown with her late husband, a Greater Johnstown alum, roughly 20 years ago.

She also has been outspoken toward the district in recent years and is running on a platform of change.

"It's time for newer people, some new ideas, new suggestions and to do some things a little differently," Kmetz said.

She brings with her experience as a PTO member and school volunteer in Massachusetts and a dedication to addressing bullying in Greater Johnstown.

—Mikesic holds a seat on the school board and is running for reelection. The West Taylor Township resident has been a school director for 20 years.

"I just want to make sure that the children are afforded a safe place to go to school ... and I want to make sure they get a good education," Mikesic said.

He also wants to keep the taxes at a reasonable level and make sure funding is spent frugally, he said.

—Rietscha lives in the Coopersdale neighborhood and is the medical records director at LaurelWood Care Center. He said his focus, if elected, would be on teachers, students and finances.

"As a board member, my main focus would be to advocate and help see to it that help is made accessible to both students and teachers during these trying times," Rietscha said, "while keeping a diligent eye on the financial resources that we as taxpayers provide for our public school."

—Spaugy has been a parent volunteer in the district since 2010, served on the PTO at the elementary and middle schools, coached fifth- and sixth-grade basketball and served as a Scout leader for the Cub, Boy and Girl Scouts.

The Tanneryville resident wants to help everyone be heard throughout the district "no matter their gender, race, religious standing, sexual orientation, disability."

She said: "I believe a parent should be on the board and that my involvement helps me to know what students, teachers, etc., need."

—Taranto lives in Moxham and has run for school board before.

She said she thinks there needs to be a change in leadership in the district, which is why she's thrown her hat back into the ring.

Her goals include a focus on bullying and listening to parents.

"I believe the board and parents need to work together for improvement of education for children in this community," the chiropractor said.

—Wood is a retired University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown professor of 29 years who worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for 15 years.

He's been appointed to the board twice and ran for a seat two years ago.

The Belmont resident said he thinks the finances at the district are in good shape and serving on the board is his way of giving back to the community, and he wants to focus on hiring.

"A lot of what the board does is in personnel," Wood said. "We've got to be astute in who we hire for what position."