Readers of this column know how much we have focused on the Mifflin County Regional Police Board. It is now time pay focus on the school board. No local election is more important than this one. The future of Mifflin County Schools is at stake.
The current members of the board are Beth Reifsnyder, Phil Nash, John Traxler, Kirk Rager, Travis Parkes, Dave Molek, Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Robert Bratton, and Walter Harpster. The incumbents up for election in 2009 are Travis Parkes and Walter Harpster. Robert Bratton has chosen not to seek reelection. Four of these members serve on the board of the Mifflin-Juniata Career and Technology Center. They are Kirk Rager, Travis Parkes, Walter Harpster, and Robert Bratton.
Based on what is reported in the news, this is a divided board with a coalition formed by Rager, Parkes, Traxler, and Harpster who nearly always vote the same on every issue.
Harpster and Parkes are currently running on the same ticket with two new candidates: John Hulbert and Kristen Sharp.
I know nothing about the beliefs of Hulbert and Sharp, but I fear that having them run is an attempt by the Rager camp to take over the board. Is this something the citizens of Mifflin County want?
I don’t think so. I want our elected officials to think independently and make their own decisions and not come to board meetings after privately meeting decide how to vote. The future of Mifflin County schools is too important for one collective mind to decide on all matters. You may think I am wrong about this, but think about it. These are the same people that thought it would be a good idea to build a school during a recession. Also, the same people that are to busy to attend meetings on a consitant basis. Also, the same people that are afraid to make the tough decisions.
If anyone has an e-mail address for Mary Lou Siglar, Kristen Sharp, Walter Harpster or any of the other candidates please forward them to me.
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2 comments:
Thinking you spent a lot of time on MCRPD. Did not come to any results. Now we have no Chief of Police , the crime is getting worse and the 4th part of our Government, the news media , is letting us down by not reporting , So what did your time spent achieve?
Mr. Bratton filed a nomination petition to be on the ballot in the courthouse. There are nine school board canidates at this point.
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