Our candidates have received strong support from the Penns Valley public. Some of those supporters have written letters to the editor of the Centre Daily Times. Those letters, copied directly from the CDT's online edition, are provided here with links to the CDT's site where you can find the original. Thanks to all of the supporters who have taken the time to provide these letters.
Hyde and Niewinski are each running against one challenger for a single seat. However, Houser is running against two challengers for a total of two at-large seats. This means that if you cast “up to” two votes, as the ballot states, or if you vote party line, your second vote will counteract your vote for Houser.
Therefore, I urge all voters who recognize the hard work and dedication Houser has shown in support of academic excellence and fiscal responsibility in the Penns Valley Area School District to vote only for Houser for school director (four-year at large) and not cast the second vote.
Good-quality schools and low taxes benefit all residents of the district, and Houser, Hyde and Niewinski have the experience, vision and temperament to keep us on this path.
Leslie Warriner - I am voting for candidates with strong community ties who have dedicated their Saturdays to painting dugouts, coaching ball teams and selling soup at fundraisers.
I am voting for candidates who volunteer their time to make our community a better place, who take an active interest in their children’s schooling, who regularly attend school board meetings and who have shown fiscal responsibility in all volunteer capacities.
I am voting for candidates who emit a positive attitude and who welcome new ideas that benefit our students and staff. I am voting for the candidates whose sole focus in this position is to improve our district.
Regardless of how long we have lived here, we chose to make this our home, and our children deserve board members with their best interests at heart.
Vote for Amy Niewinski, Chris Houser and Jeff Hyde on Tuesday.
But a group of five is advocating undefined changes they want. They continue to focus on dissatisfaction with board procedures and conflict. This atttitude would certainly adversely affect board and administration cooperation and, ultimately, effectiveness.
Students would then pay the price.
I agree that more board responsiveness and better community communications might be needed. I have neither heard nor read anything in which the five have addressed anything seriously about education per se. Several obviously do not have the capabilities to make a positive contribution to our school system via being on the board.
I strongly support the candidacies of Amy Niewinski, Chris Houser and Jeff Hyde. They have more than adequately demonstrated by their intelligence, by Niewinski and Houser’s proven records on the board and by their understanding of what is required of a school board member that they should be elected.
Don’t be fooled by the magic of “change” and end up throwing the baby out with the bath water.
George Stover - Penns Valley residents have the opportunity to take part in one of the most crucial school board elections in recent years.
Penns Valley Area School District has become a superior academic institution while remaining fiscally responsible. The district has the highest possible credit rating (AA-) for its size; has been paying down an inherited debt ($30 million to $24 million); and, during a time of great economic difficulty, it did not raise taxes this past year.
We went from paying the highest school taxes in the county to the lowest. As a retired resident, this is all very important to me.
Don’t vote on hearsay. Do your homework and watch the video from The League of Women Voters candidate forum at www.pvasd2013.com. This is the best way to show the very clear differences between candidates — those who have the knowledge and experience to manage our great district and those who do not.
A strong school board with good governance and forward-thinking, fiscally responsible directors is critical to the continued success of the district.
Voters who want the present level of excellence to continue and want the district to be led by individuals who bring innovative ideas and philosophy to education and who embrace change while being fiscally prudent, should consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski.
Not only is education important to these community leaders, but they will continue to lead the Penns Valley school district in a positive direction.
Ruth C. Rudy - As a lifelong Penns Valley resident, I have grave concerns about how the outcome of Tuesday’s school board election will affect not only our schools, but all residents of Penns Valley.
Times today are challenging for any community and family. We all worry about the safety and the educational welfare of our children, as well as finances.
The current Penns Valley Area School District board has not only faced these difficult times, but has made positive changes to the district. Priorities and goals were set and then not only met but exceeded as the Penns Valley School over the past five years has become one of the top academically performing schools.
Safety has become a top priority, and the district has taken measures to make sure that each child is safe while at school. The board decreased the inherited debt from $30 million to $24 million and taxes were not raised this year.
When you vote Tuesday, please consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde, Amy Niewinski and Hank Yeagley.
Each of these candidates has not only the knowledge to continue to lead the district during these challenging times, but also the experience — experience in finance, in education and in giving the best possible education to our children while being fiscally responsible.
I urge voters to watch the candidates for school board answer questions at the recent League of Women Voters forum. In this video, which is posted on YouTube, the candidates for school director provide evidence of their experience, temperament and vision for the district. This video highlights the clear contrasts between the candidates.
I urge you to vote for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski. These three have articulated a vision of keeping taxes low and academic performance high. They are focused on improving educational opportunities for all students in the district.
Houser and Niewinski have a strong record of service on the board to achieve this vision and have earned our votes.
Hyde, the father of two young students in the district, has extensive experience as a leader, educator, coach and communicator and would bring a passion for technology and rural communities to the board.
Their challengers recognize the high performance and low taxes in the district, yet still call for change. When asked to spell out this change, the details are lacking, as highlighted in the recent candidate forum.
All residents of Penns Valley win with low taxes and high academic performance. Tell the challengers that they can keep their “change” by voting for Houser, Hyde and Niewinski for strong schools and low taxes.
Mary Jane Kistler - There is an important race for Penns Valley school board director in Tuesday’s election.
I encourage my fellow Penns Valley residents to please consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski.
I watched the League of Women Voters’ candidate forum, and Houser, Hyde and Niewinski are by far the most knowledgeable, qualified and articulate candidates for whom we can vote.
Houser and Niewinski currently serve on the board, and Penns Valley has the best educational results and lowest taxes of any district in the county and is rated very high in the state.
I’d like to see the progress of the past eight years continue, and we have our best chance with these three candidates.
Sal Nicosia - I urge all residents of Penns Valley who care about the direction of their school district to vote Tuesday. Most critical is to re-elect Chris Houser to the board. As a past president of the board for six years, I know him well. Houser was the chairman of the finance committee during my tenure. His leadership and guidance have resulted in millions of dollars being saved for this district.
One of Houser’s initiatives was the biomass burner, which has saved the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel oil. Another was five-year budgeting, something that had never been done prior to his chairmanship.
We worked together during our last labor negotiations to get a fair and comprehensive package that we knew the district’s finances would support. These included common-sense work rule changes as well as pay and benefit adjustments during a very difficult financial time.
The fact that this school district is in such great fiscal condition is his legacy. Houser spends the taxpayers’ money and counts the pennies like they are his own. Houser and his associates on the board also know how to put kids first. Since Houser has been on the board we have seen our district rise from below average to the top 8 percent of Pennsylvania schools scholastically.
That’s what I call progress.
Beware of people calling for change just for change’s sake. Please re-elect Chris Houser and Amy Niewinski. Elect Jeff Hyde to support them both.
November 1, 2013
Betsy Quigley - Penns Valley voters have an opportunity to continue on the path of low taxes and high academic performance in the upcoming election for school board directors. Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski have records of accomplishment and experience and deserve our votes. The contrasts between these three and their challengers are clearly evident in the recent candidates forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters.Hyde and Niewinski are each running against one challenger for a single seat. However, Houser is running against two challengers for a total of two at-large seats. This means that if you cast “up to” two votes, as the ballot states, or if you vote party line, your second vote will counteract your vote for Houser.
Therefore, I urge all voters who recognize the hard work and dedication Houser has shown in support of academic excellence and fiscal responsibility in the Penns Valley Area School District to vote only for Houser for school director (four-year at large) and not cast the second vote.
Good-quality schools and low taxes benefit all residents of the district, and Houser, Hyde and Niewinski have the experience, vision and temperament to keep us on this path.
Leslie Warriner - I am voting for candidates with strong community ties who have dedicated their Saturdays to painting dugouts, coaching ball teams and selling soup at fundraisers.
I am voting for candidates who volunteer their time to make our community a better place, who take an active interest in their children’s schooling, who regularly attend school board meetings and who have shown fiscal responsibility in all volunteer capacities.
I am voting for candidates who emit a positive attitude and who welcome new ideas that benefit our students and staff. I am voting for the candidates whose sole focus in this position is to improve our district.
Regardless of how long we have lived here, we chose to make this our home, and our children deserve board members with their best interests at heart.
Vote for Amy Niewinski, Chris Houser and Jeff Hyde on Tuesday.
October 31, 2013
Craig Weidensaul - Penns Valley has a very functional and successful school board, an outstanding administrative staff and faculty and a harmonious relationship among these. Penns Valley schools can boast of outstanding student performance and low taxes compared with any school in Centre County. Why would anyone want to negatively affect these credentials and jeopardize the positive relationship between the administration and the board by instituting “change”?But a group of five is advocating undefined changes they want. They continue to focus on dissatisfaction with board procedures and conflict. This atttitude would certainly adversely affect board and administration cooperation and, ultimately, effectiveness.
Students would then pay the price.
I agree that more board responsiveness and better community communications might be needed. I have neither heard nor read anything in which the five have addressed anything seriously about education per se. Several obviously do not have the capabilities to make a positive contribution to our school system via being on the board.
I strongly support the candidacies of Amy Niewinski, Chris Houser and Jeff Hyde. They have more than adequately demonstrated by their intelligence, by Niewinski and Houser’s proven records on the board and by their understanding of what is required of a school board member that they should be elected.
Don’t be fooled by the magic of “change” and end up throwing the baby out with the bath water.
George Stover - Penns Valley residents have the opportunity to take part in one of the most crucial school board elections in recent years.
Penns Valley Area School District has become a superior academic institution while remaining fiscally responsible. The district has the highest possible credit rating (AA-) for its size; has been paying down an inherited debt ($30 million to $24 million); and, during a time of great economic difficulty, it did not raise taxes this past year.
We went from paying the highest school taxes in the county to the lowest. As a retired resident, this is all very important to me.
Don’t vote on hearsay. Do your homework and watch the video from The League of Women Voters candidate forum at www.pvasd2013.com. This is the best way to show the very clear differences between candidates — those who have the knowledge and experience to manage our great district and those who do not.
A strong school board with good governance and forward-thinking, fiscally responsible directors is critical to the continued success of the district.
Voters who want the present level of excellence to continue and want the district to be led by individuals who bring innovative ideas and philosophy to education and who embrace change while being fiscally prudent, should consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski.
Not only is education important to these community leaders, but they will continue to lead the Penns Valley school district in a positive direction.
Ruth C. Rudy - As a lifelong Penns Valley resident, I have grave concerns about how the outcome of Tuesday’s school board election will affect not only our schools, but all residents of Penns Valley.
Times today are challenging for any community and family. We all worry about the safety and the educational welfare of our children, as well as finances.
The current Penns Valley Area School District board has not only faced these difficult times, but has made positive changes to the district. Priorities and goals were set and then not only met but exceeded as the Penns Valley School over the past five years has become one of the top academically performing schools.
Safety has become a top priority, and the district has taken measures to make sure that each child is safe while at school. The board decreased the inherited debt from $30 million to $24 million and taxes were not raised this year.
When you vote Tuesday, please consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde, Amy Niewinski and Hank Yeagley.
Each of these candidates has not only the knowledge to continue to lead the district during these challenging times, but also the experience — experience in finance, in education and in giving the best possible education to our children while being fiscally responsible.
October 30, 2013
Troy Ott - On Tuesday, residents of the Penns Valley Area School District will have the opportunity to keep our district on a path of the lowest relative taxes and the highest academic ranking in Centre County.I urge voters to watch the candidates for school board answer questions at the recent League of Women Voters forum. In this video, which is posted on YouTube, the candidates for school director provide evidence of their experience, temperament and vision for the district. This video highlights the clear contrasts between the candidates.
I urge you to vote for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski. These three have articulated a vision of keeping taxes low and academic performance high. They are focused on improving educational opportunities for all students in the district.
Houser and Niewinski have a strong record of service on the board to achieve this vision and have earned our votes.
Hyde, the father of two young students in the district, has extensive experience as a leader, educator, coach and communicator and would bring a passion for technology and rural communities to the board.
Their challengers recognize the high performance and low taxes in the district, yet still call for change. When asked to spell out this change, the details are lacking, as highlighted in the recent candidate forum.
All residents of Penns Valley win with low taxes and high academic performance. Tell the challengers that they can keep their “change” by voting for Houser, Hyde and Niewinski for strong schools and low taxes.
Mary Jane Kistler - There is an important race for Penns Valley school board director in Tuesday’s election.
I encourage my fellow Penns Valley residents to please consider voting for Chris Houser, Jeff Hyde and Amy Niewinski.
I watched the League of Women Voters’ candidate forum, and Houser, Hyde and Niewinski are by far the most knowledgeable, qualified and articulate candidates for whom we can vote.
Houser and Niewinski currently serve on the board, and Penns Valley has the best educational results and lowest taxes of any district in the county and is rated very high in the state.
I’d like to see the progress of the past eight years continue, and we have our best chance with these three candidates.
Sal Nicosia - I urge all residents of Penns Valley who care about the direction of their school district to vote Tuesday. Most critical is to re-elect Chris Houser to the board. As a past president of the board for six years, I know him well. Houser was the chairman of the finance committee during my tenure. His leadership and guidance have resulted in millions of dollars being saved for this district.
One of Houser’s initiatives was the biomass burner, which has saved the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel oil. Another was five-year budgeting, something that had never been done prior to his chairmanship.
We worked together during our last labor negotiations to get a fair and comprehensive package that we knew the district’s finances would support. These included common-sense work rule changes as well as pay and benefit adjustments during a very difficult financial time.
The fact that this school district is in such great fiscal condition is his legacy. Houser spends the taxpayers’ money and counts the pennies like they are his own. Houser and his associates on the board also know how to put kids first. Since Houser has been on the board we have seen our district rise from below average to the top 8 percent of Pennsylvania schools scholastically.
That’s what I call progress.
Beware of people calling for change just for change’s sake. Please re-elect Chris Houser and Amy Niewinski. Elect Jeff Hyde to support them both.
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