Nearly $25K raised in school board races around Centre County. Who is funding them?

Halie Kines, Keely Doll
·7 min read

Nearly $25,000 has been raised by school board candidates throughout Centre County.

Whether candidates are running as groups, like Slate for State or Win4Bellefonte, or individually, many have raised funds for various campaign expenses such as yard signs or radio ads.

Through campaign finance data provided by the candidates via the Centre County Elections Office, anyone can see how much money has been raised by a candidate, how much an individual or political action committee has donated, and what a candidate has spent the money on.

The Centre Daily Times combed through hundreds of pages of donations and expenditures to understand who is funding local campaigns, including school boards races. We’ve analyzed data in races for State College, Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Bald Eagle and Philipsburg-Osceola school boards, although many candidates did not spend or raise more than $250, and therefore do not have a comprehensive filing.

Below is how much each candidate in these races has raised and spent in their respective races, as well as top donors and largest aggregate expenses.

The most recent filing, cycle 2, was due May 5. Candidates are now in a 24-hour reporting period (cycle 10), where they have to report each day if they received any donations, up to and including May 16. Though some may have reported donations for cycle 10, those are not included in this article.

State College Area School District

Eleven candidates are running for five seats on the State College Area School District board of directors: Gretchen Brandt, Aaron Miller, Amy Bader, Laurel Zydney, Anne Demo, Michelle Young, Barry Fenchak, Daniel Kolbe, John Krajcovic, Megan Layng and Nathan Bish. Each candidate has cross-filed and will appear on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.

United for SCASD

Several candidates are running together under the “United for SCASD” PAC. Candidates supported by United for SCASD are Fenchak, Young, Bish and Krajcovic (Layng, while originally part of the group, is no longer supported by the PAC).

This cycle, United for SCASD has raised $9,458.70 and spent $2,660.83. Between that and $8,363.97 brought forward from the last cycle, they have $15,161.84 on hand. In the data available, there are $58.70 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $2,000, Galen Dreibelbis, of State College. Owner of Dreibelbis Development

  • $2,000, Michael Houseknecht, of Warriors Mark. CEO of Best Line Equipment

  • $2,000 Daniel Hawbaker, of Port Matilda. CEO of Glenn O. Hawbaker

  • $2,000, Bob Poole, of State College. CEO of S&A Homes

  • $1,000, Kristie Patterson of Port Matilda. Stay at home mom.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $1,483, Lightner Communications for radio ads

  • $760, Printastic.com for yard signs

Megan Layng

Layng’s filing does not report any donations; she spent $55, leaving a cash balance of (-$55).

Slate for State

Several candidates are running together as a group called “Slate for State.” Candidates supported by the Slate for State PAC are Bader, Brandt, Demo, Kolbe and Miller.

This cycle, Slate for State has raised $10,777 and spent $6,375.28. They have $4,401.72 on hand. In the data available, there is $1,547 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

The group received $830 from Friends of Dan Kolbe.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $1,100, Sharon Hyde, of State College. Unemployed

  • $500, John Gatsil, of State College. Professor at Penn State

  • $500, Amy Frank, of State College. Artist at The Makery

  • $500, Gina LaFrazza, of State College. Psychologist at LaFrazza Psychological Services

  • $500, Jeffrey Kern of State College. Geologist at Resource Technologies Corporation

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $2030.30, U.S. Postal Service for postage for mailers

  • $1833.47, Bayard Printing Group for mailers

  • $1322.88, Capital Promotions for yard signs

Laurel Zydney and Nathan Bish did not file a finance report, as they did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office.

Bellefonte Area School District

Eleven candidates are running for five seats on the Bellefonte Area School District board of directors: Jennifer Barnhart, Joe Yech, Darrell Sharp, Timothy Kessling, Kimberly Weaver, Donna Smith, Nate Campbell, Paul Dombrowski, Patrick Buck, Julie Fitzgerald and Denelle Korin. Each candidate has cross-filed and will appear on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.

Win 4 Bellefonte

Several candidates are running together as a group called “Win 4 Bellefonte.” Candidates supported by Win 4 Bellefonte are Barnhart, Buck, Kessling, Sharp and Weaver.

Win 4 Bellefonte has raised $2,490 this cycle and spent $1,998.56. With the $118.17 they brought forward from the last cycle, they have $609.61 on hand.

In the data available, there are $210 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $1,000, Michael Hawbaker, of Port Matilda. Contractor at Glenn O. Hawbaker

  • $300, Sharon Kalajainen, of Florida. Retired

  • $300, Martie Caparelle, of Bellefonte. No employer listed

  • $250, Connie Clark, of Bellefonte.

  • $200, David Caparella, of Bellefonte.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $1,050, Deliver Signs Inc. for yard signs

  • 747.14, Groves printing for postcards and campaign business cards

Donna Smith

This cycle Smith has raised $1,391.33 and spent $1090.04. She has $301.29 on hand. In the data available, there are $280 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $291, Donna Smith

  • $245.15, James Hebrank, of Jeannette.

  • $125, Rodney Musser, of Bellefonte.

  • $100 each from Brit Milazzo, of Noah Greece, NY, Francis Marimon and Jackson Spielvogel of State College.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $743.04, Capitol Promotions for signs

  • $347, Centre County Gazette for print ads

Joe Yech

This cycle Yech has raised $200 and spent $1,176.77; he ended the cycle with a (-$976.77) cash balance.

Yech received $100 each from Janet Kyte and Francis Kyte, both of Bellefonte. His two largest aggregate expenses are $816.27 to Signs on the Cheap and $212.93 to Crazy Cheap Political Signs, for yard signs.

Julie Fitzgerald

This cycle Fitzgerald has spent $965 and ended the reporting period with a (-$965) cash balance. She reported no contributions and paid $618 to Capitol Promotions for yard sign and button printing, and $347 to the Centre County Gazette for newspaper ads.

Nate Campbell

This cycle Campbell has spent $714.67 and ended the reporting period with a (-714.67) cash balance. He reported no contributions and spent $689.67 at Signs on the Cheap for election signs and $25 on Facebook ads.

Paul Dombrowski

This cycle, Dombrowski has raised $50 and spent $238.35, ending the reporting period with (-188.35). He spent $37.84 at M&M Copy Service for handouts and $200.51 at Staples for yard signs.

Denelle Korin did not file a finance report, as she did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office.

Bald Eagle Area School District

Five candidates are running for five open seats on the Bald Eagle Area School District board of directors: Republican Erica Danneker and cross-filed candidates Molly Hoover, Brandi Bartley, Jason Penland and Gary Heverly Jr.

None of them filed a finance report, as they did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office.

Penns Valley Area School District

Ten candidates are running for five open seats on the Penns Valley Area School District board of directors: Domer Smeltzer, Nickelaus Engle, Scott Butler, Kim Kellerman-Domin, Molly Miller, Dan Hall, Michael Pase, Celesta Powell, Karla Groy and Daniel Pick. Each candidate has cross-filed and will appear on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.

Hall reported (-$250) cash balance at the end of the reporting period.

Kellerman-Domin reported a (-$250) outstanding debt or liabilities at the end of the reporting period.

Pase reported a (-$250) cash balance at the end of the reporting period.

Miller reported (-$300) cash balance at the end of the reporting period; she paid $300 to The Valleys’ Voice for yard signs.

The following did not file a finance report, as they did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office: Smeltzer, Engle, Butler, Powell, Groy and Pick.

Philipsburg-Osceola School District

Four candidates are running for five open seats on the Philipsburg-Osceola School District board of directors: Tim Bainey, Todd Jeffries, Alexander Boumerhi and Tiffany Warlow. Each candidate has cross-filed and will appear on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.

Boumerhi reported spending $694.09 on yard signs at Super Cheap Yard Signs. He ended the reporting period with a (-$694.09) cash balance.

The following did not file a finance report, as they did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office: Bainey, Jeffries and Warlow.