Over $20K raised in Centre County school board campaigns for 2023 election. See the data

Keely Doll
·10 min read

In the last four months leading up to the election, Centre County’s school board candidates have raised more than $20,000 for their campaigns.

Although some larger groups or slates of candidates received money from political action committees, the majority of donations have come from individuals in and around Centre County.

Leading up to the primary election in May, candidates across the county raised over $25,000, bringing total spending in school board races to just under $46,000 from Jan. 1 onward.

Although many candidates and PACs started in 2023, some groups brought forth money from previous election years. United for SCASD brought $8,363.97 and Win4Bellefonte brought $118.17 forward from previous election years.

Candidates self-report their finances and contributions to the Centre County Elections Office for each filing period before the election, the most recent of which ended on Oct. 23, with reports due on Oct. 27.

The Centre Daily Times looked through hundreds of pages of finance reports to determine who is funding local school board elections. Below is a list of candidates’ total funds, largest donors and biggest expenditures.

Some candidates did not file full reports as their total contributions and expenditures for the cycle were under $250. Until the election on Tuesday, candidates are in a 24-hour reporting period where they must report any additional donations each day. Those additional 24-hour reports will not be included in this article.

State College Area School District

Ten candidates are running for five seats on the State College Area School District board of directors. Gretchen Brandt, Aaron Miller, Amy Bader, Anne Demo and Dan Kolbe are running as Democrats and are all part of the Slate for State PAC. Republicans Michelle Young, Barry Fenchak, John Krajcovic and Nathan Bish are running as part of the United for SCASD PAC, and Republican Megan Layng is also on the ballot.

United for SCASD

This cycle, United for SCASD has raised $6,559.10 and spent $5,049.02. Between that and $11,985 brought forward from the last cycle, they have $13,495.08 on hand. In the data available, there are $71.40 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

United for SCASD received $1,500 from the Centre Leadership Initiative political action committee in State College.

Top individual aggregate donations:

  • $2,500, Alex Sahakian, of State College. President of Highland Holdings Group

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

  • $287.70, Christa Gallagher, of Port Matilda. Retired

  • $100, Laurel Zydney, of State College

  • $100, Sarah Kocher, of Boalsburg

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $2,025, Lightner Communications for radio ads

  • $1,281.10, Vistaprint for palm and business cards

  • $949.93, Colonial Press for mailings

Slate for State

This cycle, Slate for State has raised $5,740.09 and spent $8,753.32. With the $4,955.63 brought forward from the last cycle, they have $1,942.40 on hand. In the data available, there are $1,390.09 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Slate for State reported $2,977.27 of value in in-kind contributions from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party for mailer postage and printing. The group also received $250 from Friends of Dan Kolbe, $500 from the Everytown Victory Fund from New York and $500 from Patton-Halfmoon Democrats.

Top individual aggregate donations:

  • $1,250, Susan Port, of State College

  • $250, Amber Concepcion, of State College

  • $250, Evan Myers, of State College

  • $250, Nancy Chiswick, State College

  • $200, Micaela Hayes, of State College

  • $100, Matt Herndon, of State College

  • $100, Lewis Steinberg, of State College

  • $100, Linda Gall, of Boalsburg

  • $100, Dan Trevino, of Port Matilda

  • $100, Esther Prins, of State College

  • $100, Mary Serene, of State College

  • $100, Jennifer DeCecco, of State College.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $3300.68, Bayard Printing Group for printing and postage

  • $3130, Pennsylvania Democratic Party

  • $1288.96, Capitol Promotions for yard signs

Dan Kolbe

This cycle, Friends of Dan Kolbe raised $250 and spent the same amount. Combined with the $9.54 from the previous cycle, the group has a $9.54 cash balance. The single contributor was $250 from the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in Washington, DC. The only expense this cycle was a $250 contribution to Kolbe’s PAC, Slate for State.

Megan Layng

This cycle, Layng has raised $1,241.21 and spent $1,114.14. Between that and $-187.07 brought forward from the last cycle, she has a $-60 cash balance. Layng reported $107.70 worth of small dollar donations (under $50).

Layng reported a $1,133.51 contribution as reimbursement from her committee, Layng for SCASD.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $572.50, A.G.E Graphics for promotional materials

  • $300, Pro Active Sports for campaign supplies/apparel

Layng also filed finance reports for her committee, Layng for SCASD. This cycle, Layng for SCASD raised $1,275 and spent $1,241.21. It brought forward $0 from the previous cycle and has $158.21 on hand and $60 in unpaid debts. It reported $50 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Top individual aggregate donations:

  • $415, Christa Gallagher, of Port Matilda

  • $500, Dean Klopp, of Bethel. Owner/manager of PROAC Corporation

  • $350, Rob and Leah Coll, of Port Matilda

  • $200, Susan Simkins, of State College

  • $100, Jody Reese, of State College

  • $100, Beth Irvin, of Port Matilda

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $1,241.21, Ken and Megan Layng for candidate reimbursement

In earlier filings, Layng for SCASD filed two finance reports with different itemized expenses, both totaling $1,241.21. One contained several candidate reimbursements to Ken and Megan Layng while the other was a copy of the itemized expense reports filed in Layng’s individual report.

Layng for SCASD filed an amended report on Friday, fixing a previously incorrect total of $1,116.79. She told the CDT that the correct filing expenses involved the several candidate reimbursements.

Bellefonte Area School District

Ten candidates are vying for five spots on the Bellefonte Area School board of directors this year: Republicans Jennifer Barnhart, Patrick Buck, Timothy Kessling and Kimberly Weaver are part of the “Win4Bellefonte” group. Paul Dombrowski, Julie Fitzgerald, Denelle Korin, Donna Smith and Joe Yech are running as Democrats. Republican Darrell Sharp is also on the ballot and was previously part of Win4Bellefonte but split from the group prior to the campaign filing cycle.

Korin and Dombrowski did not file a report as they did not expect to raise/spend more than $250, according to the county elections office.

Win4Bellefonte

This cycle, Win4Bellefonte has raised $4,304 and spent $6,519.77. Between that and $2,367.08 brought forward from the last cycle, they have $151.31 on hand. In the data available, there are $2,666 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

Win4Bellefonte reported $4,720.46 of value in in-kind contributions including $552 to Michael Hawbaker for loaning a truck, $254.17 to William and Kim Weaver for a pork dinner and $3,597 to Daniel Hawbaker for a message board.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $500, Patrick and Jennifer Hawbaker, of Port Matilda. Owner of Glenn O. Hawbaker

  • $250, Richard and Patricia Bird, of Bellefonte

  • $200, Paul and Nancy Kutches, of Bellefonte

  • $140, Tim Miller, of Bellefonte

  • $140, Ted Onufrak, of Mingoville

  • $100, Sharon Kalajainen, of Bellefonte

  • $100, Tim and Lisa Gardner, of Bellefonte

  • $100, Fred and Carol Gay, of Bellefonte

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $3,432.75, Kathy Evey for signs, apparel

  • $1,444.80, Tim Kessling for radio ad recordings

  • $590, Delivery Signs

Darrell Sharp

This cycle, Sharp reported $418.60 in expenditures and no contributions, putting his ending cash balance at $-418.60. His largest contributions were $355 to Delivery Signs for yard signs and $63.60 to Grove Printing for business cards.

Donna Smith

This cycle, Smith has raised $1,090 and spent $734.22. Between that and $138.79 brought forward from the last cycle, she has $494.57 on hand.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $100, Donna Smith, of Bellefonte

  • $100, R. Thomas Berner, of Bellefonte

  • $240, James Hebrank, of Jeanette

  • $350, Mitchell Smith, of Colorado Springs. Police officer

  • $300, Barbara Hebrank, of Jeanette. Retired

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $325, Centre County Gazette for advertising

  • $152.60, Hot Cards for cards

  • $173.17, Eric Spielvogel for advertising

Julie Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald reported no contributions in the most recent filing cycle and $924.13 in total expenditures. With -$1,608.95 brought forward from the last report, she has $-2,533.08 on hand Her largest expenditures were $859.13 to Capitol Promotions for yard signs and $65 to Micaela Hayes for postcard printing.

Joe Yech

This cycle, Yech has raised $150 and spent $333.56. Between that and $-1,015.43 brought forward from the last cycle, Yech has an ending cash balance of $-1,198.99.

His only contribution was $150 from Pat and Willis Worick, of Stevensville. His largest expenditures were $85.25 to Michaels for T-shirts and printing supplies and $152.20 to Amazon for card stock and parade candy.

Penns Valley Area School District

Nine candidates are running for four at-large seats on the Penns Valley Area School Board. Celesta Powell, Domer Smeltzer, Nicklaus Engle and Scott Butler are running as Democrats. Republicans Molly Miller, Dan Hall, Michael Pase and Kim Kellerman-Domin are running as part of The Valleys’ Voice PAC. Daniel Pick is cross-filed and running unopposed for the region one open seat.

Celesta Powell

This cycle, Powell’s report noted she’s raised $401.50 and spent the same amount, though her itemized contributions total $431.50. She brought $0 forward from the last cycle and has $0 on hand. She did not report any small dollar donations.

Powell reported $176 of value in in-kind contributions including $110 of printing and labels from herself and $66 worth of stamps from Rachel Stroup.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $231.50, Celesta Powell

  • $200, Janice Jenkins and Michael Arthur, of Spring Mills

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $170, A.G.E Graphics for yard signs

  • $132, USPS for stamps

The Valleys’ Voice

This cycle, The Valleys’ Voice has raised $1,820 and spent $1,558.57. Between that and the $260.61 brought forward from the last cycle, they have $522.04 on hand. In the data available, there are $200 worth of small dollar donations reported (under $50).

The group reported $72.04 of value in in-kind contributions for website payments from Michael Pase.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $250, Michael Pase, of Centre Hall

  • $250, Dan Hall, of Spring Mills

  • $250, Bruce and Kim Domin, of Spring Mills

  • $250, Molly Miller, of Spring Mills

  • $200, Lorraine Holte, of State College

  • $200, Anonymous (When asked about this donation, elections office staff told the CDT that it would need to be turned over to the state.)

  • $120, Nate and Sarah Haupt, of Spring Mills

  • $100, Judy Swartz, of Rebersburg

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $760, A.G.E Graphics for signs

  • $524.86, Colonial Press for palm cards

  • $146.28, Grove Printing for palm cards

Domer Smeltzer, Nicklaus Engle, Scott Butler and Daniel Pick did not file a finance report as they 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: Erika Danneker, 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.

Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District

Four candidates are running for five open seats on the Philipsburg-Osceola School board of directors: Tim Bainey, Todd Jeffries, Alexander Boumerhi and Tiffany Warlow.

Alexander Boumerhi

This cycle, Boumerhi reported no contributions and $398 in expenditures to the Philipsburg Journal Newspaper for political ads. Between that and $-1,180.76 brought forward from the last cycle, Boumerhi has an ending cash balance of $-1,578.76.

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