Deer Lakes School District voters have 7 candidates to pick from for 5 board seats

Seven candidates are vying for five seats on the Deer Lakes School Board in Tuesday’s general election.

Joining incumbent Democrats Cristy McCloskey and Larry Neidig, who are cross-filed, in the race are former board member Phillip Ziendarski, a Democrat, and newcomers James Calvert, a cross-filed Democrat; Susan Claus, Democrat; Pietro Porco, Republican; and Leonard Verdetto III, Republican.

The directors are elected by citizens of East Deer, Frazer and West Deer townships.

The position is unpaid and has a term of four years.

Ziendarski did not respond to requests for comment.

The candidates were asked the following questions:

• Why are you running for school board?

• What’s the biggest issue facing the school district and what can be done about it?

James Calvert

Calvert, 66, a retired Deer Lakes School District technology employee decided to run for school board after receiving an invitation to a Veterans Day program at Curtisville Elementary School.

“I realized how much I missed being a part of the school, its awesome children and dedicated, hard-working staff,” said Calvert, an employee for 23 years. “I live in the community, and I want Deer Lakes to be a preferred school for existing and future residents wanting a better life for their children.”

Calvert, a Realtor, said the community invests a lot of tax dollars into the school district, and the expectation from the public is that the money is used wisely and effectively.

“We need to focus on giving students the best opportunities to succeed. They must feel safe and they need to know their board members, administration, teachers and staff,” he said.

Issues facing the district noted by Calvert include academics, safety, mental health and fiscal responsibility.

“They all need consideration,” he said.

Susan Claus

A librarian with 24 years of experience working in public, private, parochial and home school settings, Claus, 65, is a former Deer Lakes parent with sons who graduated from the district.

“I can contribute a unique perspective to the board,” said Claus of her combination of educational experience and familiarity with the district. “I’m grateful for the opportunities they had there.”

She said she wants to eliminate the “erosion of trust between school boards, professional staff and parents.” Doing so, she said, would ensure the district enjoys the strength that results from combining data-driven decision making, support for the teaching profession and creative collaboration between parents and school district.

“We need to provide our kids with a broad and thorough education that prepares them for the challenges of the next half-century,” Claus said.

Cristy McCloskey

An incumbent, McCloskey, a computer science teacher, said she has a deep passion for education.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education,” said McCloskey, 50. “I’ve seen students’ minds ignite with curiosity, creativity and a genuine passion for learning. It’s this passion that motivates me to continue serving on the board as well.”

Deciding to run again for reelection was easy for McCloskey because she describes her board experience as rewarding.

“I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with dedicated individuals who share a vision for our district’s success. Together, we’ve made significant strides in improving our school safety, mental health programs, educational programs and fostering a sense of inclusivity and community within our schools,” she said. “Yet, there’s still much work to be done.”

McCloskey referenced bullying as an issue that surfaced during several board meetings.

“I believe a main focus must be on creating a school culture in which all students feel safe and have a sense of belonging,” she said. “We need to recognize and value all students by creating and modifying policies, training staff and implementing more programs that focus on building positive relationships between students, teachers and staff.“

Larry Neidig

Neidig, an incumbent, hopes to continue the strides made during his term on the board.

“I’m running for reelection because the district is headed in a good direction, and there is still work to be done,” said Neidig, 45. “I believe that board members should be willing to logically think through all decisions and make a rational decision based on the information provided. I have done that over the past four years and would love the opportunity to continue.”

Neidig said he is focused on the district’s future.

“The district doesn’t have a lot of issues now,” he said. “I think we have things that could be worked on, including dealing with potential growth, making all students and community members feel supported.”

Neidig pointed out board successes navigating tough issues, including the pandemic, Tax Increment Financing at the Pittsburgh Mills complex and negotiating the district’s labor contracts.

“If given the opportunity, I’d like to start focusing on planning for the future of our district,” he said.

Pietro G. Porco

After residing and raising five children in the district, Porco, 47, said he is dedicated to serving the district and surrounding community.

“It’s important to serve our communities. The Deer Lakes School District has done very well for my family, and it was time for me to give back,” he said. “I’ll use my management, organization, leadership and education skills/knowledge I have as a parent, electrical engineer, hockey coach and sports club board member to make the critical decisions to provide the best overall academic curriculum and extracurricular activities for all students.”

Porco tagged fiscal stability as the most significant issue facing the district.

“The district needs to understand the future class sizes and the stability of the tax base to properly allocate the funds to provide the best academic curriculum without burdening the residents with excessive taxes,” he said.

Leonard Verdetto III

Verdetto, 29, who was in high school 11 years ago, said he can relate to students and the younger district residents.

“I’m concerned about how schools are pushing an agenda of confusion and false learning. When I was in high school, life was different, seemed peaceful and not distracting, for the most part,” Verdetto said. “I want to bring that back.”

Verdetto pointed out multiple issues facing the district, including Social Emotional Learning agendas, decreasing PSSA scores, learning syllabus transparency for parents, fiscal accountability, bullying among kids, lack of learning support attention for students that need extra help with classwork and the slow degrading of traditional family values.

“I’m a young man that can relate to the younger crowd well and understand them. I’m a man that keeps his word and wants to do what’s right for the community,” Verdetto said. “We can set the example of real solutions to what this great nation needs. I’ll be a defender for parents that want their kids to feel safe and have a purpose in life for good, moral values, and I’ll make sure tax dollars are funded toward traditional and affordable education.”