Video: PASD Candidates, Voters Attend Forum

Though two candidates couldn’t make it to Monday’s Meet the Candidates event at Fenix Martini Bar, the five in attendance participated in a lively hour-and-a-half discussion with taxpayers and parents.

Topics ranged from library funding to pay-to-play to litigation matters and of course, to financial concerns and taxes in Phoenixville Area School District.

Each candidate present gave a brief introduction.

Kevin Pattinson is an 11-year resident of Schuylkill Township with two kids in the school system. He told the audience he moved to the township because of the schools.

Pattinson tried a write-in campaign two years ago, but this year he is on the ballot. He’s been an English teacher in Delaware County for 13 years and has a master’s degree in education.

Ken Butera is also a Schuylkill Township resident and has lived in Phoenixville Area School District since 1996. He has two children at Schuylkill Elementary.

Butera works as a lawyer in King of Prussia, dealing mostly in construction litigation. He also serves on the board at the Pathway School, a special needs school in Norristown.

Irfan Khan from Schuylkill Township has two kids at Schuylkill Elementary and works as a portfolio manager.

He has an MBA in finance and said his professional background may help with the current financial issues facing education in the state and at PASD.

Paul Slaninka is from the borough and is currently president of the school board. He has lived in Phoenixville since 1970 and had two kids go through the school system.

Slaninka said that as an educator for 35 years and as a parent, he got to see both sides of the education system. He said the current board is doing its best to ensure students get a quality education while dealing with state budget cuts and unfunded mandates.

David Ziev is also a borough resident and has lived in Phoenixville for 25 years. He currently has three children in the district—one in Barkley, one at the middle school and the third at the high school.

Ziev is currently on the school board and said he’s attended meetings for the last 23 years. He has a background in engineering. Ziev said the district doesn’t have a money problem, but does have a problems in education and applying resources.

Candidates Kyle Shirkness and Leslie Dengler could not make it to the event, due to health issues, but both have attended previous Meet the Candidates events at the elementary schools in the district.

Pattinson, Butera, Khan, Slaninka and Ziev tackled a question on pay-to-play, which is something the district is considering to generate $75,000 in revenue for the 2011-2012 school year. You can see each candidate’s response in the video that goes along with this article.

Additionally, another topic broached was that of library funding, and the district’s role in funding the Phoenixville Public Library going forward.

Khan said the district has an obligation to fund the library, but hopes for a broader community voice in going forward with funding. Slaninka said he loves the library, but noted that Phoenixville is only one of three districts in the state that is responsible as the taxing body for the library.

Ziev said that times have changed since the library began, and the library’s mission is evolving. Ziev said ideally, the funding structure could be changed to help the library become more independent and pursue that broader mission.

Pattinson said that while the funding shouldn’t be cut hastily, the library funding should be drawn back to the children and the district. He said hopefully in the future the library won’t have to rely so heavily on funding from the district.

Finally, Butera answered that the district is the only taxing body the public library has, and said that it does play a role in the education. He’d hope to find a way to restructure that funding, but ultimately said the school is responsible for funding the library because the missions are connected.

Other issues tackled included East Pikeland Elementary and the possible expansion of that school. Candidates agreed that getting the nearby residents’ buy-in for the project was key. Residents near the school have formed a coalition and are party to the zoning hearing that’s currently taking place.

The crowd was very involved in the event and asked a number of questions, under the watchful eye of emcee Mike Ellis. Candidates, though obviously serious at times, also had lighter moments where they joked back and forth.

In today’s primary, all of the candidates with the exception of Shirkness cross-filed, so you’ll find them on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.

If the same five candidates receive the highest number of votes on both ballots, the election in November will be moot.