Greater Latrobe School Board race includes 4 incumbents, 4 newcomers

Voters in Greater Latrobe School District have eight candidates to choose from to fill four school board seats in the Nov. 4 municipal election.

The field is split evenly between incumbents and newcomers — but some have aligned themselves into two separate campaigns, each including three candidates.

Campaigning together are three of the incumbents — Democratic nominees Heidi Kozar and Rhonda Laughlin and Republican nominee Andrew Repko. Their campaign sign touts “experience, integrity and common sense” while indicating one of their common goals is keeping taxes low.

Incumbent Merle D. Musick has joined forces with fellow Republican nominees Yelayna Rossi and Patrick Carney. Their campaign literature lists them as conservative candidates, citing “strong leadership; sound informed decisions; proven fiscal responsibility; student/parent focused.”

The two remaining Democratic nominees are Joshua Cunningham and Thomas Long.

Cunningham, 46, of Unity, has worked as an educator for 23 years, serving for most of that time at Indiana County’s River Valley School District. He teaches English at the Saltsburg STEAM Academy, previously serving as assistant principal when the building housed a traditional high school.

He said he has supervised student extracurricular and athletic programs and participated in contract negotiations on behalf of his local teachers’ union.

“I’ve taught at every grade level in K-12.” he said. “I don’t feel there’s anything inside of a school I haven’t done.”

Tbe father of a district fourth grader, Cunningham said he would like to see smaller class sizes and expansion of foreign language and aviation instruction in the district.

He said he doesn’t object to recently approved athletic facility improvements but believes academics and school maintenance aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

“I want to see the HVAC revamped and upgraded in almost every building, as well as safety enhancements,” he said.

Long, 62, of Latrobe, said he wants to bring a fresh perspective to the school board, building upon his experience in business management and community leadership.

Sales team leader for Inco Beverage, Long is the former vice president and general manager of Greensburg Beverage.

A member of the Greater Latrobe Parks and Recreation Commission for 18 years, serving as chairman of that board since 2019, he said he’s been involved in establishment of Latrobe’s Cardinal Park and improvements at the town’s Legion Keener Park while helping to reintegrate Unity Township into the recreational organization.

Long said he wants to serve as a “voice of reason” on the school board.

“I gather and research information, listen to the opinions of all stakeholders, then base my decisions on what I feel is the best outcome for everyone,” he said. “I’m running to galvanize the district. … We all need to be rowing in the same direction.“

The three incumbent board members who are campaigning together indicated they don’t always agree on all decisions concerning district but they say they’ve found common ground.

Repko, 62, of Unity, is a school bus driver trainer and president of the school board who is seeking a second term. He said he is a conservative Republican but also an independent thinker who is ready to talk about district issues with fellow board members, including Kozar.

“We have an open line of communication so we can come out with the best decision for the students and the district,” he said.

Repko said he has supported additional discourse — with a public comment period that has been added to the board’s committee-of-the-whole meeting, held a week in advance of the monthly voting meeting.

A retired major of the guard with the state Department of Corrections, Repko said he is skilled at interacting with others and at working on budgets. He said the district needs to consider how to align its complement of aging buildings with a declining student population.

“We need to seriously look at consolidation, if possible, but that has to be with a lot of community input and town halls,” he said. “We need to be proactive more than reactive.”

Kozar, 66, of Unity, owns a small business, Embraceable Ewe Designs. She is running for a sixth term and has grandchildren attending local schools.

She said she brings experience with school finance and budgeting at a time when funding from Harrisburg has been halted by a state budget impasse.

“We have not received any money from the state since the end of June. so as a board we may be asked to address certain costs in the very near future,” she said. “I believe it is better to have knowledge and experience to answer those tough questions. I do not need to take time to learn the policies and protocols in a time of potential crisis.”

Kozar, who serves on eight school committees, said she strives for educational excellence while protecting the well-being of district students.

She said she is “willing to listen and learn, to be able to change my mind if the facts and research demand I do so.”

Laughlin, 58, of Latrobe, is an optometrist who has served for about 19 years non-consecutively on the school board. She has served on multiple committees, is the current board vice president and a past president.

Laughlin agreed it’s important to retain experienced members on the school board. “It helps to keep the board from being sluggish to act,” she said.

During her time on the board, she said, the district added a full-day kindergarten program and settled three teacher contracts without a strike.

Laughlin said she has “continued making sure I support the district teachers, the superintendent and their vision while listening to what the community can financially support.”

She said she would advocate for the board to hold a special public meeting once or twice a year “so we can stay better connected with the community.”

She expressed concern that divisions along political party lines could become a factor on the school board.

“It doesn’t serve the kids and the community the best,” she said. “It should be nonpartisan.”

Musick, 24, of Unity, is seeking his second term on the school board.

He said the district negotiated multiple contracts while he served as previous board president, adding that he’s developed additional leadership skills as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.

A 2020 Greater Latrobe alumnus and recent college graduate in political science, Musick said he brings a younger perspective to the board including direct experience with the technology students are using.

“We’ve been doing a pretty good job staying on top of everything and opening opportunities up for students in technology,” he said of the district. “I would like to see that excellence continue.”

Musick said he brings conservative values to the board and has advocated for holding taxes steady.

As the district looks to update some of its curriculum, he said, “We need to find a fiscally responsible balance.”

Rossi, of Unity, also a recent Greater Latrobe and college graduate, is a director of corporate services. She is pursuing additional degrees in business and marketing.

She said she would bring to the school board experience working in human resources, with skills in problem-solving, communication and organizational management.

“It is essential that the school board manages its budget wisely, spending within its means and directing resources toward programs and initiatives that have a direct, positive impact on student achievement and the students’ well-being,” she said. “I am committed to thoughtful, data-driven decision-making that balances fiscal prudence with the district’s educational goals.”

She added, “At a time when student enrollment is declining, it is not in the community’s best interest to take on large amounts of debt. The real draw for families is the quality of education, strong academic performance and dedicated teachers.”

Carney, 61, of Unity, is a machinist who is skilled in welding and computer numerical control programming.

He said Greater Latrobe students need to become proficient in math and science while gaining knowledge in robotics.

“It’s going to be the future and we need to embrace that,” he said.

He said district teachers should use methods in the classroom that engage students. “If you make it too difficult and boring, kids don’t want to learn anything,” he said, adding that students “have to have a thorough understanding of whatever the subject is.”

Carney said he wants to hold down district taxes.

“We’ve got to run our government just like we run our households,” he said. “Everybody has a big wish list. but what do we need?”