Seven candidates will vie for five seats in the Freeport Area School District, which educates students in Buffalo Township in Butler County, and Freeport and South Buffalo Township in Armstrong County.

Three incumbents are among the candidates in the May 16 primary election, all of whom have cross-filed on both the Democrat and Republican tickets.

Michael Huth, of South Buffalo Township, has served on the Freeport school board for 32 years and worked as a business manager for 26 years at three Pennsylvania school districts, including Knoch.

He also worked for the U.S. Secret Service, Inspector General, Veterans Affairs and Coast Guard. He was a state trooper in Virginia prior to his career as a school district business manager.

Huth said he is distinctly qualified due to his many years on the board.

“I know the school district from top to bottom,” he said.

Major accomplishments at the district during Huth’s tenure on the board include building a new middle school and a new athletic complex, including football field and track, and two national awards for academics.

“I believe the Freeport Area School District is among the top five in Pennsylvania,” Huth said. “That’s my opinion.”

He said he was prompted to run for school board in 1991 due to a labor dispute and upgrades needed at various schools and facilities in the district.

His goals are the renovation of the 40-year-old Freeport Area High School and maintaining or improving the educational level of students in the face of a thin faculty.

Regarding issues in the district, Huth said he does not want to see any more cuts in staff or programs to maintain the tax rate, which has been the case for the past several years.

“When you cut staffing, you obviously jeopardize programs, and when you lose programs, you jeopardize education,” he said.

Greg Selinger, of Buffalo Township, is serving his first term on the school board and is an operations manager for a local company.

He said the board successfully navigated the coronavirus pandemic and all the issues that came with it and has started to make progress on repairs to the high school.

Selinger said he ran for the school board in order to make a positive difference in the education and safety of his children, family and all students in the district.

His goals are to continue to provide a safe and challenging education for students, and he sees safety; housing and community growth; and high school renovations as the main issues in the district.

Adam M. Toncini, of Buffalo Township, is serving his first term on the school board and has been president for the past two years.

Toncini said his years of accounting experience, as well as being a Freeport parent and uncle, qualify him to serve on the board.

He said during his tenure, the board has successfully continued to offer a variety of programs and classes for students each year in spite of financial difficulties faced by the district.

Toncini also said the board has approved numerous grants applied for by administrators to cover the costs of some programs as well as security and mental health services for students.

He said service to the community and school district are the main reasons he is running for reelection.

Toncini said his top priority for the district is the renovation of the high school.

Regarding issues in the district, Toncini pointed to continuing to offer quality programs while avoiding faculty cuts, improving school safety to include metal detectors and the impact of growth on Buffalo Elementary School.

Sylvia Maxwell, of Buffalo Township, is a Realtor who represents buyers and sellers in Buffalo Township and serves as director and treasurer on the Greater Allegheny Kiski-Area Board of Realtors.

She said understanding the real estate market and how it affects many facets of the school district’s budget is a key qualification she would bring to the table.

Maxwell said her experience as a yoga instructor would couple compassion with her business acumen on the board.

She said she decided to run for the school board after attending board meetings for two years.

“About a year ago, I decided to run for a seat because I bring a fresh perspective and I am motivated to put my ideas into action,” Maxwell said.

Her goals for the district are optimum student learning environments regarding well-being, education and safety; ensuring the district’s safety plan is well-constructed and as impenetrable as possible; to be a liaison between the district and the three municipalities it serves; and to seek tax relief for retired residents.

Maxwell said issues in the district include keeping curriculum at a high level and ensuring teachers have what they need to be effective; board transparency regarding education, mental health and bullying; managing growth; and fiscal responsibility.

Samuel Ross, of Buffalo Township, was a union ironworker for 35 years, zoning officer for 12 years and high school softball coach and official for 14 years.

“I am not afraid to speak up and say ‘no,’” Ross said.

He said he is running for school board because he disagrees with the annual school tax increases the board has said will occur until 2028 due to growth in the district.

“With hundreds of new homes being built and new businesses coming into the area, (they) have to be generating new revenue each year,” Ross said.

His goals for the district would be to stop tax increases, ensure all stakeholders are aware of Title IV, maintain the safety of staff and students and continue educational excellence at Freeport that prepares graduates for the modern world.

Ross said issues in the school district are taxes and spending, cyberschool participation and unnecessary activities that waste tax dollars.

Dino DiGiacobbe, of Buffalo Township, graduated from Freeport High in 1982 before serving in the U.S. Army and Pennsylvania National Guard.

He was a New Kensington police officer before retiring at the level of detective.

DiGiacobbe also served as a police officer at a steel mill and for the borough of Freeport.

He said the last five years of his law enforcement background included serving as juvenile detective and working closely with the New Kensington-Arnold School District administration.

“If elected, I would work as a liaison between the district and the local police departments,” DiGiacobbe said. “I would ensure that all parties are on the same page when it comes to the district’s policy on security.”

He also touted his two years as a Freeport councilman as valuable experience.

Regarding goals at Freeport, DiGiacobbe said student and staff safety is paramount.

He also said he would act as an advocate for special needs children if elected.

DiGiacobbe listed student and staff safety, fiscal responsibility and bullying as three issues in the district.

Dan Ritter, of Buffalo Township, is an engineer and vice president of an international supply company.

“Through my 30 years of management experience, I have developed the skills to lead,” he said.

He said his motivation to serve on the school board is parent representation, student safety and offering students the best possible education through engagement, communication and transparency.

Ritter said with current inflation, it is important to try to keep tax increases at a minimum and focus on expense control to maintain the budget while making necessary capital improvements.

He said the district will face challenges in the future as the community grows.

“I have the background to collaborate with my fellow board members to manage the concerns of a growing district,” he said.