8 vying for 4 seats on Boyertown School Board

There are eight candidates seeking four seats in the Boyertown School District, covering 100 square miles in Berks and Montgomery counties.

There are 6,826 students enrolled in the district, which includes Bally, Bechtelsville and Boyertown boroughs, and Colebrookdale, Douglass, Earl and Washington townships in Berks County, and Douglass, New Hanover and Upper Frederick townships in Montgomery County.

There are eight candidates seeking four seats on the nine-member school board in Regions 1, 2 and 3.

All candidates have crossfiled, so barring opposition from a write-in, the May 18 primary election will decide the make up of the ninemember school board.

School board members are not paid for their service.

We asked the candidates to respond to two questions:

Question 1: What issue is driving you to run for office?

Question 2: What are you learning when you talk to voters?

REGION 1

The region represents Bally and Bechtelsville, and Colebrookdale, Earl and Washington townships.

Four candidates are running for two four-year terms.

Melody McWherter, 55, Earl Township

Background: McWherter’s family has lived in the district for 28 years, and she has two children who graduated from the high school. She served as school board vice president for the past 1 ½ years. Her work as synthetic organic and medicinal chemist provides her with experience to make data-driven informed decisions.

Response 1: I believe it is important to give back to the community.

Our school board needs to continue to make fiscally sound decisions to ensure that every student receives quality education.

We need to return to a school plan to ensure that our students return to a safe and healthy environment.

Our board needs to work together. When we do, our administration will remain in place for a longer time. We save money by not constantly looking for new superintendents. By having a constant administration, our students are given more opportunity for success. Taxpayers, community members, students, teachers and staff win.

Response 2: The biggest issue coming from parents now is the return to school for 21-22. What will it look like? Will our students be safe and healthy? Will they need to wear masks? These are all excellent questions. We need to develop a plan that allows our families to know what to expect when they return to school in the fall. We know so much more about this virus than we did a year ago. We can take that information to make a successful return to school plan.

Ruth Dierolf, Earl Township, is on the ballot for a four-year term

Background: Dierolf has a business background and has been on the board for many years. She believes she has the knowledge to know the difference between needs and wants. She in an incumbent.

Response 1: I am running for reelection to the board. I would like to remain as part of the team that brought our children and teachers back to school in person as safely as possible and in a controlled and timely manner. We were very concerned about their mental health, and we also believe that it is the best and most efficient way to learn. We hired the first female superintendent and completed the difficult task of replacing our entire supervisory team during a pandemic. That team has done an incredible job for our students in Boyertown. We have stabilized the district, a big achievement and an important goal. We refinanced and brought down the debt. I was a part of the reduction cost for the stadium after the past administration raised the cost to an astronomical level. I still have more work that I would like to do.

Response 2: Most community members want their children back in school in person as safely as possible. They are very concerned about the type of curriculum we are using. More education and less study hall periods. They are concerned year after year about property tax increases.

Kristin Lord, Earl Township

Lord, 21, is a 2018 Boyertown Senior High School graduate. After graduation, Lord went to Lincoln Technical, Philadelphia, where she received a diploma in medical assisting. She works as an RMA at Urgent Care in Gilbertsville.

Response 1: The issue driving me to run for office is the education that is not being taught within the district. Coming from a younger perspective, many young adults, and even those that are older, are simply not familiar with many adulthood aspects in life such as: the concept of money and bills, life responsibilities and even independence. Another issue that has really come to my understanding is that those in school and those outside of school are not familiar with the true meaning behind our country’s history and even the present time now. I do not believe it is discussed correctly in class and many students are being taught only what they believe is right, but not the true background which is influencing a lot of factors that are happening in today’s world.

Response 2:When talking with voters, I am learning that they want someone in office that they truly can trust and say they were proud to vote for. They want new perspectives, and they also believe that voices outside of the school board matter and should be fully considered and heard before any decisions are made. Some voters also said they want their kids to be taught in a school district that has a strong board foundation.

Nicole Zelcs, Colebrookdale Township

Background: Zelcs, 46, moved to Boyertown with her husband and son, who was active in the Boyertown School District music program and a 2016 graduate. I have been employed at a Pottstown law firm for six years. I am looking to bring professional leadership to the district and positive community engagement.

Website: https://www. facebook.com/Zelcs4Boyertown

Response 1: For students to receive the same highquality education my son received in the Boyertown School District. My son experienced small class sizes at Earl Elementary and excellent teachers and programs during his time as a student. The type of high-quality education I support and want to see continued for future generations will require fiscally responsible planning, which is one of the reasons I am running for a seat on the school board.

Response 2: I am learning that people want highquality schools that are costefficient. Voters want their school board members to be good stewards of tax dollars. This is one reason why I support cybercharter reform. Berks County schools are expected to see an $11.7 million increase in cybercharter payments for the 2020/2021 school year. Cybercharter tuition payments are calculated in an inequitable manner that places a significant financial burden on local school districts. This burden is a driving force behind budget increases that get passed down through taxes to the local taxpayer. As a school board director, I will demand that Harrisburg address and rectify this unfair burden that negatively impacts local taxpayers. I also support the district developing a robust cyber opinion to expand cybereducation within the district to provide families with flexibility and choice.

REGION 2

The region represents Boyertown, Douglass Township; and Douglass Township, Montgomery County.

Sonia Mastros, 58, Gilbertsville

Background: Mastros, is a wife, mother of three, grandmother of six. I was brought up by a single mother who taught me the value of a good education and being independent. I am a dedicated proven leader and mentor experienced at running a highly efficient and cost-effective business.

Website: http://www.soniaforoffice.com/index.aspx

Response 1: After running my own businesses for over 20 years, I am ready to commit to working with my community in these changing times as a mature, collaborative professional leader. My goal is to use my experience with vendor negotiations to lower district overhead costs wherever possible. I have two grandsons that will be attending Boyertown Middle School East in the fall. They are coming back to the district after being enrolled in a charter school. So my other focus will be on making sure that the district is dedicated to preparing them for the future and investing in education while being fiscally responsible.

Response 2: My understanding is the current board has been very divisive with some of them thinking about their personal interests instead of focusing on the quality of the education provided to their students. I don’t think education should be a political thing, it should be nonpartisan without considering personal interests. I will bring a fresh perspective and work with the other board members to promote collaboration by celebrating and rewarding successful teamwork and long-term planning. Voters also need the board members to work together to ensure minimal tax increases.

Anthony Panarello, 44, Douglass Township

Background: Panarello is a father of six boys. He has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and was a Philadelphia police officer for 20 years. Panarello coached varsity football at Boyertown High School for four seasons. He works as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Group in Collegeville.

Website: https://www. facebook.com/APanarelloBASDSchoolBoard

Response 1: I have six boys, and five are enrolled in the Boyertown School District. I have witnessed some of my children struggle with online learning. I believe the school was ill prepared to go virtual and stayed virtual too long. I watched taxes go up, but test scores and school rankings go down. I believe you need people on the school board with skin in the game. Parents need to step up, take an interest in what’s going on at the school and help improve them.

Response 2: The issues I’ve encountered when talking with voters is the lack of a full-time kindergarten. One voter stated, “This area is booming. So many new homes are being built, but the school is planning for the now and not the future.” Some voters complained about the tax increase, stating we didn’t need a new stadium, while others felt we should have turf fields for all