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Allegheny County, PA May 19, 2009 Election
Smart Voter

My Goals as School Director

By Lawrence P. Pantuso

Candidate for School Director; Baldwin-Whitehall School District

This information is provided by the candidate
I believe that School Board Members should govern the district the same way that a business is governed, because it is a business.
We must work to hold the line on taxes or reduce taxes. As a district we must look for ways to reduce costs while maintaining or increasing the level of services that we provide to our students and communities. Simply put we need to cut waste! I believe that money should never be spent without understanding the return on investment whether it be improved test scores, decreased workload, or improving efficiencies. There has to be a clear and measurable benefit! We must work with our employees to reach mutually agreeable contracts without work interruption. Work stoppages cost money and put the district in the news for all of the wrong reasons! Next to our students the faculty and staff of the district are its most valuable resources. From superintendent to custodian and all in between, we must work to recruit the best and brightest and work even harder to retain those that we already have. Teacher and staff turnover for the wrong reasons is not good for anyone, particularly the students. Parent / Student Organizations and Booster Clubs must be embraced and offered support so that they can continue to provide valuable services to the students. We could not afford to pay for the services that they provide for FREE! We need to work with them in a collaborative environment not in a confrontational one! There needs to be accountability! The Board is accountable to the voter, employees to the administration and etc. It all starts at the Board level, they set the tone for the way others will respond. All voters should be encouraged to attend and comment at Board meetings without feeling that they are imposing or unwanted. As a voter you are the shareholder! Ask questions get involved! I believe that the School Board should work in partnership with the elected officials of Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Township and Whitehall Borough to make our communities and the school district a place that young people want to move into to raise their families and a place where our mature citizens and seniors can continue to reside in comfortably after their children are raised. TOGETHER, we must form a winning team of parents, elected officials, teachers, coaches and support personnel to ensure that our children receive the best education that is possible. An education that is all inclusive and one that continuously challenges our students and prepares them to be successful adults. There needs to be a clear vision. It is not enough to manage year to year. For any organization to be successful there needs to be clearly defined short term goals and long term strategic plans. Having clear plans eliminate waste and redundancy which costs the taxpayers money.

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pa/al Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 26, 2009 13:06
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