5 candidates vie for 4 seats on Hampton School Board

As they had in the primary, five candidates are vying for four seats up for election this year on the nine-member Hampton School Board.

Incumbent board members Denise Balason, Jill Hamlin and Larry Vasko were cross-filed for the primary and won each party’s nomination.

Board member Gregory Stein, who was cross-filed, received a Republican nomination only.

Making it a contested race is newcomer Jason Hobbes, who also was cross-filed and won the Democratic nomination.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

Denise Balason

Age: 57

Party: Republican

Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia; master’s degrees from Old Dominion University and the University of Pittsburgh

Occupation: Researcher at University of Pittsburgh

Community involvement/volunteer work: Board member and volunteer for several community, sports and charitable organizations, including HTSD since 2011, H2GO Serves since 2021 and the Women’s Para Hockey Foundation since 2024; board member and volunteer for several community, sports and charitable organizations; currently with Hampton Township School Board (since 2011), H2GO Serves (2021), Keith Herchenroether Memorial Collective (2022), Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey (2018) and the Women’s Para Hockey Foundation (2024)

Years residing in district: 21

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

This is a perpetual issue facing our district and board. We will continue to take a strategic approach: focusing on the areas of spending that are most necessary, managing our existing finances efficiently and responsibly, and investigating different and innovative ways to support new services and projects.

What do you feel are the top issue or issues facing the district today? Explain briefly how you would address them as a member of the board.

Maintaining and upgrading our facilities, providing the educational excellence to which our community is accustomed, incorporating AI responsibly and safely into our curriculum, and preparing Hampton students for this always-changing world, all in the face of ongoing financial uncertainty, emerge as challenges for our district. As we have done year after year, the board will work collaboratively with our administrative team, using our shared vision for success as a reference, to address these and other issues with creativity, purpose and an eye toward the future.

Jill Hamlin

Age: 55

Party: Independent

Education: Bachelor’s degree from Washington & Jefferson College

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent

Community involvement/volunteer work: Hampton School Board, eight years, currently serving as board president; HAEE (3 years); PTOs at elementary, middle school and high school levels; many booster groups; past GOTR coach and volunteer; Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh volunteer; Alumna Advisory Committee for Pi Beta Phi at Washington & Jefferson College; H2GO Serves board member

Years residing in district: 15

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

Limited state funding definitely presents challenges with regard to general budgeting, as well as planning for new projects and services. We work closely with our administration to present a fiscally responsible budget that maintains the high-quality education and services our students, families and community members expect.

What do you feel are the top issue or issues facing the district today? Explain briefly how you would address them as a member of the board.

One of the top issues we are dealing with is the absence of a state budget. This affects our budgeting process, as we lose accrued interest/revenue every day that the state budget is not resolved. Additionally, changes in Allegheny County’s Common Level Ratio calculation have resulted in lost revenue for most districts in Allegheny County, making necessary capital projects even more difficult to fund.

Jason Hobbes

Age: 43

Party: Democrat

Education: Law degree

Occupation: Attorney

Community involvement/volunteer work: Participation on nonprofit boards, pro bono work, etc.

Years residing in district: Six

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

Through careful review of programs, spending and revenue to keep essential services while maintaining sustainable tax policy.

What do you feel are the top issue or issues facing the district today? Explain briefly how you would address them as a member of the board.

Maintaining a focus on excellence in education in a difficult political environment.

Gregory A. Stein

Age: 75

Party: Republican

EducationBS with honors from Penn State University in economics; MA from Penn State University in economics

Occupation: Retired; ran a manufacturing company prior to retirement

Community involvement/volunteer work: I am a member of the Hampton Rotary Club. I have been on the Hampton Township School Board for 14 years. I serve as the technology chair. As a school board member, I serve on the A.W. Beattie Career Center Joint Operating Committee. I am currently the JOC President. I serve as the Northern region school board trustee on ACSHIC (the health insurance consortium for Allegheny County school employees). I am a PIAA swimming official.

Years residing in district: 42

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

There is no good answer to that question. It’s a question of balance and urgency. The need to avoid tax inflation is always there. Hampton has one of the lower millages in the region. The changes in education requirements continue to come.

What do you feel are the top issue or issues facing the district today? Explain briefly how you would address them as a member of the board.

The top issues are funding and education quality. The benefits to the community include property value and desirability.

Larry J. Vasko

Age: 71

Party: Republican

Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business, 1976; master’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University, 1985

Occupation: Retired certified public accountant (inactive) and retired registered investment adviser

Community involvement/volunteer work: School board member and chair of the finance committee, Hampton representative on the A.W. Beattie Joint Operating Committee and member of the Hampton Rotary. Through Rotary, I deliver for Meals On Wheels, purchase and deliver fresh foods for the North Hills Community Outreach food pantries and chaired the scholarship committee which awards scholarships to Hampton seniors along with other community projects.

Years residing in district: 35

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

We have to make sure we are providing our children with safe and well-maintained facilities but not extravagant. Also, we need to adjust staffing and course offerings to changes in our enrollment. This year, the board eliminated one of our two assistant principals in the high school because of decreased enrollment.

What do you feel are the top issue or issues facing the district today? Explain briefly how you would address them as a member of the board.

The main issue we can control is the prior question. Hampton is not growing at the same rate it has due to decreasing land available for new homes. The decrease in home construction decreases our tax collection growth. That’s why the board needs to control costs to keep the tax burden reasonable. The main issues we can’t control are with the state-mandated retirement contributions in excess of 30% of employees’ compensation and excessive funding rate of cyber charter schools. The state mandates the cyber school rate is calculated by taking total costs divided by number of students. This results in excessive profits for cyber schools since they don’t have physical buildings to build and maintain, don’t have busing costs and don’t have athletic teams.