Field of 7 in race for 4 seats on Greensburg Salem School Board

Oct. 29—Three incumbents and four challengers are in the running for four seats on the Greensburg Salem School Board.

Tuesday's ballot includes Democratic nominees Sara Deegan, Autumn Jevicky and Lynna Thomas, who is seeking a second term on the board. Republican nominees include Jeffrey Metrosky, who is the board vice president and is seeking a third term, Emily Miller and Heather Shearer.

Lynn Jobe, who was appointed to the school board in March 2020, received nominations from both parties in the May primary.

Board President Ron Mellinger Jr. is not seeking another term.

Deegan, 41, of Greensburg, writes grants for nonprofits and serves mainly K-12 students as a virtual reference librarian on the statewide website powerlibrary.org. A regional representative on Pennsylvania's Career Ready PA Coalition, she is the mother of two elementary-age children.

Through school programs such as library services, band and special education, Deegan said, "I want to invest in the children we have now so that they have the tools to become productive citizens in the long run."

She wants the district to become more welcoming to people of all backgrounds as the local population becomes more diverse. She suggested the district work with organizations such as Westmoreland Community Action, which has a Welcome Everyone Program.

"I am committed to increasing the organization and communication that comes from the district," she said. "I believe that we need to build a movement of engaged community members who are active participants in decision-making so we can govern together."

Jevicky, 41, of Greensburg is a Greensburg Salem graduate and parent who works as a precision medicine oncology diagnostics manager.

She said the school board needs to prioritize the recommendations of district administrators and staff to help overcome the educational loss students experienced during a pandemic year spent partly receiving remote instruction.

"Our students have lost so much due to the disruptions of covid," she said. "Their education needs to be prioritized, not compromised by continuous cuts."

Jevicky suggested Greensburg Salem could lessen the district property tax burden by developing partnerships with tax-exempt institutions. She said she reached out to Seton Hill University with the idea of tapping the resources of its community arts program, to overcome recent cuts to Greensburg Salem's music and band programs.

While the district has budgeted funds to restore an elementary band teaching position, Jevicky said a Seton Hill partnership could have provided students "access to an impressive arts program, drastically increased the value of our district over neighboring districts, all while decreasing the costs that fall onto property owners."

Jobe, 61, of Salem is a district retiree who served 35 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director.

She places a priority on "ensuring that all students are given the best possible opportunities for growth," with "the absolute highest quality education that we can fiscally afford."

She advocates for "a full spectrum of educational programming and pathways to promote student success," while "enlisting the community's involvement and closely considering the fiscal position and priorities of the district's residents."

Metrosky, 55, has worked more than 30 years in manufacturing and is materials coordinator for Dura-Metal Products Corp.

He said Greensburg Salem should continue its current strategies for keeping students in classrooms five days per week, including thorough sanitizing of buildings. "The investment we're making with HVAC systems will improve the air flow," he said.

"Online learning is nowhere near the quality of being with the teacher in the classroom," he said. "It's also a lot more beneficial socially for the kids to be in school with other kids and adults."

The district has partnered with a local pharmacy to offer voluntary covid vaccination clinics for eligible members of the school community. Metrosky hopes that effort will be repeated with approval of a vaccine for children ages 5-11.

"My expectation is that it will happen for those parents who want their kids to be vaccinated," he said, adding, "I'm not comfortable mandating parents to do anything. Let parents do what they feel is best for their children."

Miller, 43, is a Salem homemaker with a degree in English education who taught briefly in Iowa before starting a family. She serves on a district parent advisory council and is president of the high school wrestling boosters.

Two of her children attend Greensburg Salem High School, but she sends her two younger children to a private school because of curricula concerns. "Improving aspects of the curricula, particularly writing development and history, is one of my main concerns and priorities," she said. "I would like all four of my children to attend public school."

Miller also is concerned the district is focusing too much on preparing students to be career-ready instead of becoming well-educated citizens. She said students should have a broad knowledge base, including civics and history.

She believes there is too much emphasis on standardized testing and wants to have an activity bus available so more students can participate in athletics and other after-school programs.

Regarding the state mandate Greensburg Salem is following, requiring all those in school buildings to wear masks, Miller wants to "explore avenues the district could take to regain their local control."

Shearer, 42, of Southwest Greensburg serves as a lunchroom parent at Hutchinson Elementary while raising two children who are district students. She is a homeroom mother and PTA member.

She said she has witnessed a lack of discipline and respect for authority among students and wants to focus more attention on the problem of bullying at the elementary level.

She advocates "getting back to the basics of education" while setting higher academic standards. "Instruction should be geared toward teaching kids how to survive in the real world, not toward preparing them for standardized tests," she said.

Shearer said she wants to be "a voice for parents," who should have more opportunities to bring concerns to the board.

Thomas, 53, of Southwest Greensburg is a special populations counselor at Westmoreland County Community College who previously worked in public schools. She represents the district on the Westmoreland County Committee on Legislative Action and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.

She has two children — one attending Greensburg Salem High School, the other a recent graduate.

Thomas said the district should provide a variety of courses and activities, up-to-date materials and equipment for educational leaders, a safe and healthy learning environment and resources including mental health support while "being mindful of the costs to taxpayers."

"I believe we have to use current educational research and data, understand the needs of employers and engage the community in discussions so that they can support their investment in the district and understand the ways in which it will improve the quality of life for everyone in Greensburg Salem," she said. "We have to be willing to try to do some things differently than they were done in the past, in cases where there is no solid evidence that past practices or policies are meeting our vision and goals."

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .