There are five four-year terms on the Palmerton Area School District Board of Education.

Sherry Haas

Background: My home has always been in the Palmerton Area School District. Since my adult life has revolved around our local youth. I’ve held many titles; Coach, PTO committee chairperson/vice president, parent school volunteer, dance instructor, youth group leader and PASD school board member. I truly believe that our youth of today ARE the leaders of tomorrow! I look forward to continue supporting PASD in helping to build more leaders from our beautiful community!

Q: What are your top three priorities if elected?

A: My top priorities have always been: 1. the education of our students; 2. the safety and well-being of our staff and students; 3. getting the most we can out of our funds without compromising my other two priorities.

Q: What still needs to be done to ensure student security?

A: Student security is and always will be an ongoing process as well as a top priority for me. Open communication and continuous evaluation of what is already in place, as well as the addition of the proposed on site officers and upgrades to entry ways will allow us to consider what our next steps will be.

Q: How would you balance the need for fiscal responsibility with providing a quality education?

A: Recognizing the difference between needs and wants is a very large step in being financially responsible. Be certain you are getting the best quality at the best cost. Don’t only look at today’s needs, but the possible needs for the future at the same time. Open 360-degree communication is a must! Asking questions and understanding the answers to be sure you are making the best decisions for our students and our community is key!

Jeff Henry

Background: I was raised in Slatington and graduated from Northern Lehigh in 1992. I have lived in Palmerton Area School District for over 20 years. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Muhlenberg College. I’m married with three children.

I have attended board meetings over the past three years. During that time I gained a better understanding of how the district is run and how it should be run. I feel that by having an active role as a board member I can have a greater impact on district policy than being a vocal spectator.

Q: What are my top three priorities if elected?

A: Helping to restore communication between the board, administrators, teachers, students and community. We need to give everyone the opportunity to have their voices heard.

2. Helping teachers get the access they need to ensure our students are becoming the best they can become.

3. Restoring personal accountability. Over the past few years we have seen an increase in personal agendas damaging the district. The first thing everyone should think is, “Is this good for the district?”

Q: What still needs to be done to ensure student security?

A: Everyone at some point has felt isolated, bullied or lost someone close to them. We need an attitude shift. We have to stop being reactive and start being proactive. Proactive means engaging students before it’s too late. Empathy shows students that you may not understand what they are going through, but you will be with them to go through it together. Engaging students and creating an attitude shift, will help ensure student security.

Q: How would you balance the need for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer with providing a quality education to the students?

A: The first thing I would do, is do a districtwide classroom survey. We need to understand what the teachers and students use on a daily basis. What works and what doesn’t. Secondly, based on the survey results work with the teachers and administrators to prioritize spending. This way we can make informed decisions about taxpayer money.

Audrey Larvey

Background: I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. I graduated from Girls’ Latin School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in history and secondary education. I arrived in Palmerton in 1970 and spent my entire career as a high school social studies teacher in Palmerton. I retired in 2010 with over 30 years of full-time teaching experience.

Q: What are your top three priorities if elected?

A: Enhancing district academic programs, especially technology; providing a safe secure environment for the students and making sure there is a well thought out fiscal policy. Enhancing academic programs may include pertinent staff development, attendance at educational seminars, and providing functioning, appropriate technology to expand student learning opportunities. Both administration and staff should have the chance to research current academic trends and best practices and implement changes determined to be worthwhile.

Q: What still needs to be done to ensure student security?

A: A safe environment again involves staff training such as ALICE Training and a stronger presence of social services such as counselors, psychologists and social workers. Recent studies have shown that more pre-emptive interventions by counselors have proven to be an effective method to curtail threatening situations. Also a secure physical environment in the school buildings is necessary. All these approaches need refinement. Adequate personnel and secure entrances still need to be provided.

Q: How would you balance the need for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer with providing a quality education to the students?

A: Balancing fiscal responsibility while providing a quality education is challenging. A common sense fiscal policy would need vision, planning and prioritizing. Determining the needs of the district, prioritizing them and then fulfilling those needs which can be afforded is the process I support. The district requires a long-range plan, should anticipate future needs and satisfy those needs as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Quality education is feasible with wise strategic planning.

Tammy Recker

Background: I have been a director on the school board for eight years, serving in the roles of president in the past and currently, vice president. My background is in education, both public and private, as well as counseling. I am a Palmerton Alumni and have a daughter who is attending Palmerton high school and will be graduating next year. I have lived in Palmerton my entire life and would not want it any other way.

Q: What are my top three priorities if elected?

A: Priorities in no specific order: quality education, school security and fiscal responsibility

Our fundamental responsibility is to provide a safe and challenging learning environment for every student. The approach taken must be flexible and individualized to promote optimal learning through academic rigor with challenges while, at the same time, supporting, facilitating, and empowering learners through a team approach. Our key goal is to give every child opportunity as we inspire and motivate.

Q: What still needs to be done to ensure student security?

A: I feel Palmerton has made leaps and bounds in the past few years. We began looking at infrastructure and ways to make our buildings safer for everyone which is in process of completion. Internally, the board is now focusing on ways to increase safety as it looks at School police officers/resource officers to promote a safer learning environment for all while in our buildings.

Q: How would you balance the need for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer with providing a quality education to the students?

A: Our focus is to always challenge our students with knowledge and skills necessary for real world application. A consistent checks and balances with curriculum offered, as it aligns to a needs based approach in our ever-changing world, allows us to make necessary changes where possible, while staying within our budgeted targets as we maintain some flexibility in order to meet changing needs.

Doris Zellers

Background: Palmerton has been my home for more than 30 years. My two sons are graduates of Palmerton and my grandchildren are now students here as well. Throughout my long health care career and involvement in various organizations devoted to the development and mentoring of our youth, possessing the ability of good communication, listening and problem solving skills was crucial. In my free time I am a mission volunteer and chaplain with the Billy Graham Organization.

Q: What are your top three priorities if elected?

A: If elected as a school director, my top priorities will be focusing on improving communication throughout our district to improve the relationship between the board, administration and the community. I will push for prioritized spending particularly focusing on safety issues and curriculum improvement. There also is the need for accountability of everyone whose job impacts our district. Presently our district is struggling with many issues which we can overcome, but we need dedicated board members.

Q: What still needs to be done to ensure student security?

A: Palmerton is working hard to establish secure entries at all our buildings however, we need long-range planning strategies in place. With long-term goals in place it will help us consider future security issues and resolutions. One area we need to look at is securing playgrounds. We also should be considering if we are providing a secure environment for everyone at events taking place at our schools.

Q: How would you balance the need for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer with providing a quality education to the students?

A: Fiscal responsibility comes through prioritized spending. Palmerton cannot continue spending millions of dollars without asking, “do we NEED it or do we WANT it?” We owe our students the best possible education while providing the safest environment. To achieve that, we need balance within our spending. We cannot only focus on building improvements while our curriculum doesn’t align and our test scores are poor. Communication and dedication is needed for overall district improvement.

Candidates Brandon Mazepa, Josann Harry and Charles C. Gildner did not reply to the Times News questionnaire.