SR school district race pits newcomer against current board member
Candidates running as Republicans for a chance at the Region II seat on Slippery Rock Area School District’s board have the future of the schools and high-quality education in the front of their minds as primary election day nears.
The race pits Gregory Schiller, a current member of the school board, against newcomer Matthew Karns. Both men are from Prospect.
The primary election is May 16. The winner of this election will proceed to the November ballot. No Democratic candidates are on the ballot.
Karns said he was raised in Evans City and is 2004 graduate of Seneca Valley, and that his 15 years of experience in IT have prepared him for the role.
“I know how to work with people to achieve results and sustain efficiency,” he said.
Schiller is retired, and said his background with the U.S. Department of Justice, developing teaching courses and supervising investigators, helps him in his school board role.
“During my career, I learned analytical and communication skills that have carried over to my time on the school board,” Schiller said. “I was initially appointed to the school board in early 2021, and subsequently elected to a two-year term later that year. I do not believe I had any individual accomplishments in that time; rather I see myself as part of a team.”
Schiller added that he previously had children in the school system, while Karns said he has four children, from kindergartners to freshman, in the district.
The personal connection encourages both men to ensure the quality of the education at Slippery Rock schools, they said.
Karns said his goals for the district include increased student performance, excellent stakeholder community involvement, and sound fiscal accountability and transparency.
Schiller said his goals involve providing a high-quality education while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
“In my time working for the federal government, I found that throwing money at a problem does not necessarily ensure success,” he said. “Currently, we have an excellent administrative team that works well with the school board to move our district forward while maintaining fiscal discipline. I would like to see that progress continue.”
If he’s elected, Karns said he wants to improve the teacher-student ratio and advocate for increased arts participation among students.
“(We need to) create incentive-based contracts, build a long-term substitute pool and tap into retired teachers — partner with community-based organizations to identify and train community members to become long-term substitutes,” he said. “(And) there are many residual effects of being involved in music and the arts and most revolve around personal fulfillment.”
Karns said he also wants to create a system for dealing with drug use in school and harassment on social media.
“(Maybe) a ‘three-strike rule,’ depending on severity. If the first time offense of either topic is severe enough, it will result in harsh discipline. (I want us to) continue to raise awareness of consequences of drug use and social media harassment, and partner with community outreach programs,” he said.
Schiller said he hopes to address preparing students for life outside school and concerns about outside forces trying to use public schools as agents of social change.
“In the past, there was substantial focus on getting graduates ready to move on to college … This is changing, and the district needs to provide students with exposure and training for the many options available … The staff (at the high school, in particular) is already working to develop new courses and curriculum to better serve the students. I would like to see that continue,” he said. “I believe we need to be vigilant and fight state and federal mandates that try to force politically and socially charged philosophies on our students and staff.”
The district building’s aging infrastructure is another issue Schiller hopes to combat if elected.
“Our schools were built primarily in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. We have undertaken renovations at the two elementary schools and are now considering a large renovation at the high school. This needs to be done with the taxpayer in mind, as we do not have the rapidly expanding tax base of Seneca Valley or Mars school districts,” he said.
When it comes to the fate of the “Rocket Barn,” at 101 Rocket Drive in Slippery Rock Township, both candidates referenced the engineering report conducted by Barber & Hoffman Consulting Engineers.
“Sometimes it’s tough to let go of items that have sentimental value, but you also must remain realistic … Repair costs are estimated at $300,000. This equates to approximately two mils of taxes, or salaries and benefits for three teachers. I don’t see that type of expenditure as being cost-effective for a building that is not weather tight and only used for limited storage,” Schiller said.
“If it is cost-effective to perform the engineering,” Karns said, “I would like to see (the barn restored). However, we would need to weigh cost of new storage facility over repairing existing structure. If it is just too costly to repair, the barn can sit empty as a commemorative.”
