Dr. William A. Baldino is a candidate for the Keystone Central School District’s Region VI representing Lock Haven’s 2nd and 3rd Ward and Allison Township in the upcoming primary election. The Express reached out to candidates with various questions and published those answers on May 5. Due to what Baldino said was a lack of confirmation from The Express, he did not make the deadline to answer the questions. Below, however, is his response as The Express strives to give all political candidates reasonable accommodation. The Express apologizes for misspelling Mr. Baldino’s last name.

The questions posed to the Keystone Candidates were as follows:

1. The Keystone Central School Board is currently considering a recommended (by the administration) 3.83% property tax increase in order to pay for higher health insurance, more school security, to match grants, pay for building maintenance, preserve the district’s $17 million reserve and keep up with overall rising costs. How would you vote if you were a member of the board?

2. What ideas would you bring to membership on the Keystone Central School Board?

3. What do you like about what KCSD is doing?

4. What don’t you like about what KCSD is doing, or, what do you think KCSD could improve on?

5. What other school-related issues would you like to address in order to compel voters in your region to vote for you?

Baldino’s answers follow:

1. Unfortunately, taxes are a fact of life, but my general principle is to avoid tax increases unless absolutely necessary. My impression of both the board’s and the administration’s representatives, gleaned at the work meeting in which the proposed increase was presented, was that they had an overly cavalier attitude in regard to it. A tax increase is a serious imposition and potentially a hardship on a family or an individual. I would not vote for a tax increase unless I was convinced that all frivolous or wasteful spending had been eliminated and other methods of funding exhausted. If I believed an increase was absolutely necessary, I would want to limit it to the smallest amount possible.

2. I believe that a return to basics would be beneficial. Traditional American values and principles should be taught and emphasized. Civics should be emphasized as well as development of skill in writing and speaking the English language, including instruction in cursive script. Foreign languages which would be contemporaneously useful in an international setting should be introduced at an early age. Student safety must be given the highest priority. Initiating physical combat must not be tolerated. What appears to me to be a top heavy administration should be trimmed.

3. Programs to develop skills useful or necessary for those students who choose a course other than enrollment in college seem to be doing well.

4. I think the board is, at times, reluctant to provide sufficient transparency to its constituents. It seems to me that they forget who is paying the bills and, thus, who is entitled to almost all information regarding board activities. I also think the board could be move proactive in establishing policies and goals rather than “rubber stamping” administration proposals. I think the board has been allowing an overutilization of “remote learning.” Teachers should be teaching face to face whenever possible.

5. I want to reiterate safety, values and basics. This would include insuring that woke agendas are not taught without adequate rebuttal. Computer skills will be necessary for success in the future, and must be taught, but skills and activities remote from a computer screen should be provided, as well as the encouragement of the reading of good books. I believe that the school board should endeavor to provide to the students of the district the foundational skills necessary for success in their post-school life, while at the same time reflecting the values of the constituent community.