Politics & Government
Preview RTM School Board Candidates Up For Election
Get to know your Rose Tree Media School Board candidates who are running in Tuesday's Election.
Media Patch will run profiles on all the municipal and school board candidates running in contested races for the Primary Election on May 17. In , there are five, four-year term, openings on the board, and nine candidates running, three of which are incumbents. So before you cast your vote, read below about the candidates running in the Rose Tree Media School Board Election.
John T. Bartholomeo - Newcomer
Bartholomeo has resided in Middletown Township with his spouse since 1992. They have not had any children in the RTM school district system. Bartholomeo is a graduate of Devon Preparatory High School has a B.S. in civil engineering and M.S. in water resources planning from Drexel University. He currently is the vice president of federal programs for an environmental remediation services contractor. Bartholomeo retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after serving from 1974 to 2008 as a program manager.
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Bartholomeo discusses his platform below.
Over the past decade, the per pupil cost of education, taxes and debt service have steadily increased yet SAT scores have steadily declined, Bartholomeo says. Salaries, benefits and debt service payments consume 65 percent of the annual budget, Bartholomeo says, and these items are projected to continue to increase and with the decrease in Federal and State funding, the children will receive less or taxpayers will pay more for less. Taxpayers not utilizing the school system have no proponent on the board.
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"It is my intent to bring fiscal control to the school district, increase accountability to taxpayers and parents, to provide the necessary tools and environment for teachers to perform their tasks and increase the transparency of school board actions to the taxpayers. With well thought out management and changes, the needs of all stakeholders can be adequately met without jeopardizing the quality of education," Bartholomeo says.
"My professional work experience requires unfettered and unbiased analysis of complex problems, research into available alternatives, serious consideration of diverse opinions and the ability to make tough decisions," he says. "As an engineer I have managed programs exceeding $50 million annually, with a diverse staff of professionals on programs for demanding customers. As a member of the board I will be willing to stand up and say no, when necessary. I will strive to review all fiscal commitments. I will respect and seek to involve all parties willing to step forward. The responsibility of a school board member requires a commitment of time, research and analysis. I am making that commitment."
Jim Coyne - Newcomer
Coyne says he is an engaged dad to two Indian Lane Elementary students with more than 25 years of accomplished business experience in communications and community relations. He has served on the Superintendent's Advisory Board since 2009 and provides a keen understanding of school and district issues and the importance of transparent school board service.
"Transparency may seem like a vague concept until you consider the impact of very difficult decisions this school board will be making," Coyne says. "I'll continue to advocate for more open communication and accessible, accountable and transparent school board service, particularly now with calls out of Harrisburg for crippling funding cuts to public education."
Coyne says upcoming school board elections are important on multiple levels.
"Rose Tree Media is where I live and my children attend school. They matter because neighbors and their families matter," he says. "I am invested in helping a very good school district become even better while contributing to a stronger community. Real progress will be neither simple nor fast, but will come through open dialogue for the benefit of students, first and foremost, parents and the more than 70 percent of Rose Tree Media residents without children in districts schools."
"Rather than simply bucking the system, I'll concentrate on bringing about changes from within to continue the delivery of affordable, high quality education. Though a first-time candidate, I'm no newcomer to asking tough, inconvenient questions and taking a collaborative approach to reaching fair and workable solutions," Coyne says.
Nancy Fronduti - Incumbent
Fronduti has been married to her husband Ron for 30 years and they are the parents of three children who are graduates of RTM schools. She has lived in Middletown Township for 26 years and has been actively involved as a parent, community volunteer as well as having served 10 years as a School Board director. She has a Master of Science degree in Nursing from Villanova University and is Board Certified in Gerontological Nursing and is presently, clinical liaison with Bayada Home Care with more than 30 years of experience in health care.
Fronduti says residents of the Rose Tree Media School District should choose her because she supports the zero percent increase for the 2011-2010 RTM budget.
"I desire to promote and support excellence in our educational program for students of all ability levels as well as ensure fiscal responsibility for taxpayers," Fronduti says.
Captain Chris P. Guilday - Newcomer
Guilday, 39, grew up in Wallingford and attended Nativity BVM Elementary School and is a graduate of Cardinal O'Hara High School. He started his college education at Boston College and then transferred to SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler after two years and graduated from there with a B.S. in Business Administration and a Third Mate's Licence from the U.S. Coast Guard. Guilday then began a three year apprenticeship with the Delaware River Pilots and has worked on the river as a pilot for 12 years.
Guilday moved from Manayunk to Media in 2001 and has lived for the last five years in downtown Media. He was recently married to his wife Casey and they hope to start a family in the near future.
Guilday discusses his platform below.
"As a long-standing member of the Rose Tree Media community who will (hopefully) have children in the near future, I want to ensure that the best educational opportunities will be available to them," Guilday says. "I have friends whose children are currently in the district and they have shared some of their concerns with me. I have also had conversations with a former teacher from the district and she has provided some excellent testimony into what is done right and what could use some improvement. Additionally, I had a thorough and engaging conversation with my neighbor Veronica Barbato, who is retiring after her long and distinguished service on the School Board and she provided me with valuable insight into the actual workings of the board and its committees."
"As a taxpayer in Media Borough living in a newly-constructed home, I do believe there is a need to keep a close eye on costs. This will become even more challenging if the news of the forthcoming state budget becomes reality. That having been said, the quality of the educational experience cannot be compromised. There is a great deal of learning to be done on my part but also a valuable perspective that I can lend. I look forward to the challenge and the opportunity of contributing," Guilday says.
John Hanna - Incumbent
Hanna is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He is a partner in the accounting firm of Mingis, Gutowski & Company, CPAs. He was elected to his first term on the RTM Board of School Directors in November 2007. He and his wife, Dena, have lived in Middletown Township for more than 18 years and they have two sons currently in the school district.
Hanna has previously served as the treasurer for the Media Youth Center and served as a member of the Center’s Executive Committee. He has previously served as the appointed auditor for Middletown Township and previously served as a member of the Rose Tree Media School District's Act 1 Tax Study Commission.
Hanna says he would like to ensure that the students of the Rose Tree Media School District receive the highest quality education possible while holding the line on real estate taxes. He says he will focus on budgetary constraints placed on school districts resulting from reduced state funding, increased pension funding requirements and other unfunded federal and state mandates.
Hanna says residents of the Rose Tree Media School District should choose him because he supports the zero percent increase for the 2011-2010 RTM budget. And he will continue to utilize his accounting and financial backgrounds to provide leadership during the annual budgeting process.
"I believe that we can provide the best possible educational programs for our students while being responsive to the taxpayers of our community," Hanna says.
Janet M. Lis - Newcomer
Lis, 59, has worked as an attorney for 23 years. She has degrees from Bucknell University (B.S.) and Georgetown University (B.S.N. and J.D.). Lis has lived in Upper Providence Township for 17 years and has two children attending Penncrest High School. Lis says she has never previously run for public office.
Lis says maintaining a quality educational system in the face of increasingly limited financial resources is what she sees as the main agenda item for the school district.
"My focus is on fostering accessibility within the school district, increasing open communication and creating an environment where decisions are made with involvement of all affected parties, accountability of all of the parties that need to work together to make the system successful, including school board members, administration, teachers, parents, students, and the community, and achievement, working in a collaborative manner to maintain and improve the high standards that the schools currently enjoy," Lis says.
Lis says she has been involved with the schools since her children entered elementary school, and served on various PTGs and currently helps to manage the Penncrest Swim and Dive Team boosters.
"This service provides insight into the way the school district functions," she says. "I also have experience serving on several local non-profit boards of directors. In addition, my background as an attorney facilitates recognition of and review of legal issues which may arise."
"I would work with the school district to help make it a place where the students can achieve their full potential, so that they can become productive members of the community," Lis says.
John Nee - Newcomer
Nee has lived in Upper Providence for 21 years. He and his wife, Susan, have three grandchildren in the RTM school system. Nee spent his career in labor relations, gaining decades of experience that will be extremely useful to the school board in the challenging years ahead, Nee says. He served as the vice president of Labor Relations and Human Resources at Scott Paper Company before starting his own consulting firm focused on improving labor-management relationships.
Nee says he brings a pragmatic, cooperative approach to the important issues facing the RTM schools.
“With budget cuts and a growing debt, it will be essential for the school board to work closely with our teachers’ representatives to ensure that RTM continues to provide our children with high-quality education," he says. "Our work should be open and transparent, to ensure that everyone is fully aware of what we are doing, and that the values of the community are represented at all times."
Nee says his decades of success in negotiations are based on mutual respect for all parties in the process.
"Teachers and unions are not the problem," he says, "they are part of the solution. By controlling costs and encouraging superior teacher performance, we will reach solutions together."
During the next four years, the RTM schools will face some of the most important challenges in the history of the district, Nee says.
"To ensure that your views are heard, please vote on May 17. And to support fiscal responsibility, open governance and a collaborative approach, vote for John Nee," he says.
Bill O'Donnell - Incumbent
O'Donnell, 44, is a lifelong resident of greater Media area and has three children in the Rose Tree Media School District. He is a graduate of Penncrest High School and has B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University and an MBA from Villanova University. He works as a senior project manager for Wawa, Inc., CPA. He was director of Rose Tree Media School Board for five years and was finance chair for three years.
O'Donnell discusses his platform, based on fiscal responsibility, quality schools, and putting the tax payer first, below.
"I will continue to put our dollars to work for the things that are most important for our students and the community to ensure the district’s funds are used efficiently and effectively. I will continue to champion an educational experience that works for all students," O'Donnell says. "Finally, in these tough economic times, as finance chair, I will present a budget with no tax increase for the 2011-2012 school year despite more than $1 million cut from our state funding. By balancing the needs of taxpayers and students, we will continue to have a school district in which we take great pride."
"Voters should choose me because I have the experience, background, and passion for the position. I have five years of experience that provides me with a strong foundation for understanding the school district’s finances, our educational programs, and the requirements of Federal and State governments. My strong financial background provides me with the analytical skills to maximize tax dollars. Finally, I have a passion for our school district. I have three children in the district and am committed to the school district’s success," O'Donnell says.
Liz Schneider - Newcomer
Schneider, is an attorney, who has lived in Upper Providence Township for the past 11 years and been a resident of Delaware County for more than 40 years. She is married to Justin Bush and has two children, Analiese and Sophia, who attend Rose Tree Elementary.
Schneider discusses her platform below.
"I am not an incumbent and have never served on the school board, which puts me in a unique position to bring balanced, common-sense solutions to today's challenges in the school system. As an attorney and involved member of the community, I am further equipped to interpret the issues, analyze the data and make sound decisions," Schneider says.
"In light of these trying economic times, the main issue facing the district is continuing to provide a high-quality education for our children without increasing the cost to the taxpayer. Given that we have the highest per-pupil spending in the county while maintaining low millage rates, I believe we can provide the best education by marshalling the existing resources without increasing taxes. Every child needs a strong educational foundation to succeed, and I am committed to providing for that," Schneider says.
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