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MILL HALL -- Three of five open seats for the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors remain contested rolling into Tuesday, Nov. 7's General Election.
Seats that are open include:
-- Region I, which encompasses Greene, Logan and Porter Townships, and Loganton Borough
-- Region III, which encompasses Beech Creek Borough, Beech Creek Township, Curtin Township (Centre County) and Liberty Township (Centre County).
-- Region IV, which makes up Dunnstable, Wayne and Pine Creek II Townships.
-- Region VI, which covers Lock Haven 2nd and 3rd Wards and Allison Township.
-- Region VIII, which covers Castanea and Bald Eagle Townships and Flemington Borough.
The Express has compiled information about the candidates that will be on the ballot for each region:
REGION I
Two candidates will be featured on the ballot for Region I. The seat was opened when current representative Wayne Koch announced he would not seek reelection. Candidates for this race are Democrat Mary Ann Clark and Republican Chris Scaff.
Clark has lived in KCSD for 40 years with her husband Paul. She recently retired from a position at Bald Eagle State Park and has volunteered with various local organizations. She is a past Porter Township auditor and serves on its planning board. Her beliefs include providing access to quality education; positive engagement with parents; STEM and vocational training; ensuring a responsible budget.
Scaff currently serves on Loganton Borough Council and is a member of the Sugar Valley Lions Club. Scaff has expressed his disagreement with an increase in district taxes and believes in getting costs down within the district's budget. In previous interviews with The Express he's noted his push for transparency and accountability within the district and expressed favorability for continued support of the district's Career and Technical Training Center.
REGION III
Incumbent Polly Donahay was the sole candidate for Region III. Donahay was elected to the role in 2019. Prior to this she briefly filled a vacancy on the board in the spring of 2019 up until the election. Since then she has been active on various committees.
REGION IV
Incumbent Jeff Johnston is the only name listed on the ballot for the Region IV seat. During his first term on the board he has been very active on the board's many committees. Johnston is a retired educator who served 14 years as an elementary and middle school teacher in the Clearfield Area School District, before coming to Keystone Central where he served as an elementary principal in several of the district's buildings for 18 years. From there he concluded his career serving as Superintendent of the Canton Area School District.
REGION VI
Two candidates will be listed on the ballot for the district's Region VI seat -- Republican Dr. William "Bill" Baldino and Democrat David Dietrich, the incumbent.
Baldino is a thoracic surgeon who received his medical degree from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. In previous interviews with The Express, Baldino has noted his belief that tax increases should be avoided but if absolutely necessary be at the lowest amount possible. He further noted he believes education should encompass traditional American values and principles.
Dietrich was nominated to the board in 2022 to finish a term vacated by then-vice president Randy Strouse. If elected, this would be Dietrich's first full-term on the board. He currently serves as the board's president. Dietrich has vocalized his disagreement with an increase in district taxes and has expressed interest in improving student safety within the district.
REGION VIII
Two candidates will be on the ballot for the district's Region VIII seat -- Republican Tom Cannon and Democrat Rick Schulze, the incumbent.
Cannon is 15-year employee with PennDOT and has been involved in the Bald Eagle Township Sewer Authority and worked with youth in fishing and trailing running. Cannon previously applied to fill the seat, vacated by Boise "Bo" Miller in late 2022.
Schulze was selected to fill the vacant seat in 2022 and is looking to serve a full term on the board. He serves as chairman of the Castanea Township Recreation Committee and has 20 years of education experience, most recently at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.