State College School Board Candidates Align with Competing Slates

Among the 11 candidates running in the primary election for State College Area School Board, 10 have aligned with competing slates for their campaigns.

In the last week, United 4 SCASD announced its five candidates for school board, while five other candidates have formed Slate for State. Incumbent Laurel Zydney is the only candidate who is not part of either group.

United 4 SCASD’s candidates are Nathan Bish, Barry Fenchak, John Krajcovic, Megan Layng and Michelle Young.

Slate for State was formed by incumbents Amy Bader and Gretchen Brandt and first-time candidates Anne Demo, Dan Kolbe and Aaron Miller.

United 4 SCASD

United 4 SCASD, a non-partisan political action committee formed in 2021 to recruit and support State College school board candidates advocates “for greater district transparency and community engagement, maintaining SCASD’s high academic performance, fiscal accountability and ensuring parents and family are full partners in education,” according to a news release

The group says it wants to strengthen parent and family engagement, and advocates “for full representation of diverse viewpoints in all matters related to the district while promoting a culture based on fairness, understanding, and our common humanity.” Its goal is “to develop well-rounded, confident, responsible individuals who are equipped to achieve their full potential.”

“I am honored to be working with such an accomplished group of people dedicated to ensuring SCASD provides the environment required to graduate successful and resilient citizens,” said Young, who chairs United 4 SCASD.

Slate for State

Slate for State was formed by its five candidates “to run in the upcoming election as a cohesive group with shared goals for SCASD,” according to a news release. The group noted its mix of experienced incumbents and new candidates “who draw on their diverse professional backgrounds and personal experience with the district.”

The slate’s “core principles” include academic success for all students, trust and transparency with teachers and the community and good financial stewardship of district resources. 

“We believe that the work of education is best done in partnership rather than in competition,” the candidates said in a statement. “The Slate for State believes that by working together to emphasize our core values, we create a team that is more than the sum of the individual candidates. This collaboration will extend our reach and allow us to focus on sustaining the high quality education that our SCASD community has come to expect. As fellow parents, the Slate for State believes that nurturing our children to reach their potential should always be the top priority of a well-run school district.”

The Candidates

United for SCASD

• Nathan Bish describes himself as a “strong advocate for public education” and the parent/school partnership. He said he has regularly attended school board and committee meetings, participated in one-on-one meetings with board members and administrators and participated in SCASD’s 2022 comprehensive strategic planning process. During the latter he decided to run for school board after “seeing the immediate need to refocus SCASD on its core mission to ensure that every student has his or her educational needs met.

• Barry Fenchak is an independent Registered Securities Principal and Investment Advisor whose four children graduated from SCASD. He was as an instructor in finance at Penn State for more than 20 years and currently serves as an alumni-elected member of the university’s Board of Trustees. He said the school board’s primary role is to ensure faculty and staff are equipped with the necessary resources to provide a quality education the community’s youth. “As a community, the trust we place with our public schools is sacred. Those individuals we place in positions to direct our schools must always respect that trust,” he said.

• John Krajcovic is a civil engineer who has worked for PennDOT for more than 20 years and previously for the Army Corps of Engineers. He and his wife have two children who attend elementary school in the district and he has coached youth sports for four years. He cited the importance of ensuring quality education and using his skills as a project manager among his reasons for running for school board. “As a school board member I will support decisions that lead to a quality education for all student,” he said. “I will support decisions that are fiscally responsible and I believe that teachers are the greatest teaching resource we have in our school and they should be supported. I also believe in the rights of every student to feel like they belong and are safe.”

• Megan Layng is a mother of three children, all of whom graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and a longtime educator who has been on the staffs of private schools and co-ops in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and State College. She has since taught English composition to international students at Penn State and grammar and English as a Second Language at Penn State’s Intensive English Communication Program. Layng currently works as an international student adviser in Penn State’s Office of Global Programs and has live in State College with her husband, Ken, for 30 years.

• Michelle Young is a retired U.S. Navy commander and mother of three sons who attend middle school in the district. She, her husband and children have lived in State College since 2015. She said she “is passionate about the growth of our youth and their development into well-rounded and independent students prepared to think critically and positively engage in life after high school.” Young decided to run for school board based on her interest in developing an environment that prepares students for life outside of school by instilling critical thinking skills, a global perspective and a respect for the values of honesty, perseverance, gratitude and compassion. “My interest grew from personally mentoring and coaching individuals, to organizing larger professional development programs, to shaping their professional environments for success as I became a more senior officer in the Navy,” she said. “After retiring, I realized that I could continue to serve a younger community.”

Slate for State

Each Slate for State member previously announced their individual candidacies. All five are parents of children in the district. Names are linked to more information from their announcements. Additional information is available at slateforstate.com. The group is holding a rally at 10:30 a.m. at State High and will hold community meet-and-greets from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Wegman’s and 4:30-6 p.m. on March 27 at Webster’s Bookstore Cafe.

• Amy Bader is a veterinarian and two-term incumbent on the school board. She said she has has “prioritized continuous improvement in student learning, particularly in the areas that support for neurodiverse learners, including advocating for continued evolution of primary literacy instruction.”

• Gretchen Brandt is a two-term incumbent and currently vice president of the board. She said she brings “a focus on sustainability and cooperative efforts with local government, and has been a key member of the Solar Power Purchasing Agreement project.”

• Anne Demo is a former SCASD special education paraprofessional and Penn State professor with 20 years of experience supporting diverse learners. She currently works in student support services for Penn State’s School of International Affairs.

• Dan Kolbe is a business development professional for KCF Technologies who said he is seeking “to support district equity efforts” and wants “to improve the representation of diverse families on the board.”

• Aaron Miller is an adjunct teaching professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State who said he would bring “a wealth of knowledge on adolescent development,” to the board.

No Affiliation

• Laurel Zydney is a three-term incumbent who stressed her independent thinking and commitment to non-partisanship in announcing her reelection campaign. Her priorities include “expanding opportunities for community involvement, strengthening the partnership between schools and families and addressing inequities in student performance,”  as well as securing long-term financial stability for the district while keeping the area affordable.

The Election

Five State College Area School Board of Directors positions are up for election this year. In addition to Bader, Brandt and Zydney, the other two seats are currently held by Dan Duffy and Jim Leous, who are not seeking reelection.

All 11 candidates are cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican ballots.

Primary Election Day is May 16 and the general election is Nov. 7.