SUN: Would you be agreeable to merging with smaller school districts like Scio, Whitesville, and Andover ? Why or why not?
LOINES: This is a difficult question because it affects Wellsville differently than it would affect the school district being merged. School districts in areas like ours are heavily funded by the state. It is within the realm of possibility that the state could cut funding to rural school districts, leaving them with an inability to operate without state funds. If that were the case for one of our neighboring school districts, I would be very agreeable to a merge so that the students in those districts could continue to receive the best education possible. I do not think we should seek out mergers of our own volition, it is very apparent that there is a lot of pride within each district, and that should not be discounted or infringed unless ultimately necessary. I learned a long time ago that tradition is something that should not be trifled with, and the school districts in our area have long standing traditions that are a source of pride and identity for those who reside within them. Therefore, a merger would be agreeable in so long as it is necessary to continue operations.
SUN: Wellsville has low test scores compared to the rest of the region according to the latest state reports. There are infrastructure improvements needed in the schools and buildings and grounds (including athletics) and we have a lot of teaching openings. There is also a budget to be done. What are your priorities as a board member?
LOINES: The first priority is the safety and education of our students, full stop. At the end of the day, what we want to see is every student entrusted into the care of the school district to be safe, to receive the best education possible, and to help them become contributing members of society. Everything beyond that is secondary, and take a backseat to making sure our children have the best educational experience possible. As far as the other points being asked:
Test scores – Personally, I do not see test scores as an accurate barometer of scholastic success. There are so many variables, including test anxiety, recall, stress, personal life issues, and so on that impact a students’ ability to score well on a test. A single exam should not equal out to whether a student has become proficient in a subject. You can have a straight-A student who, for whatever reason, falters on a Regents Exam, and as a result that state says that test scores are low. I feel that there is much more to subject mastery than having the ability to take a test, but those things are not taken into account.
Infrastructure – Wellsville has seen a flurry of improvements over the past few years, but there is more to be done. I think that one of the biggest hurdles is that the general population sees a multi-million dollar project, and they immediately think “tax hike”. The athletic pavilion is a great example of this. Rising costs required us to allocate additional funds to cover the gap, without an increase in taxes, but the measure was voted down last year. I am hopeful that the new proposal being voted on this year will be approved. I am excited to see this project come to fruition and completion.
Teacher openings – We have seen a lot of retirement in the last few years. I think that COVID accelerated that decision for some teachers, and that causes a void that needs to be filled with the right people. We saw the same issue with bus drivers as well. I do feel that the teachers at Wellsville are some of the best in all of New York State, Our students are achieving great things and we have our amazing teachers and staff to thank for this. I am confident that we will fill all necessary teaching roles effectively and bring the best to Wellsville.
Budget – I want to start by thanking Emily Peavey for the absolutely amazing job she does with the budget every year. I don’t know how many school districts can say that they have either lowered the tax rate or kept the tax rate the same year over year, for as long as Emily and her team has done. The district, and by extension, the Board is beholden to the taxpayer. It is an immense honor and a source of pride that we have continually presented a budget that has not increased taxes in the last several years.
3- How do you explain the historic number of candidates for a volunteer school board spot ? What is the number one reason you gathered signatures and filed a petition?
The decision to join the School Board was brought to me 6 years ago because, at the time, there were not enough people running for the number of available seats. I was not prepared for how impactful my time with the board would be, and it has been a constant source of pride for me to consider myself a member of the Wellsville Central School Board of Education. In my time, I have been the Vice President for the last several years, and have committed myself to making sure that every student at Wellsville has the same opportunities and an expectation of receiving that absolute best education possible in our district. I would love to be able to continue this path on into the future.
As far as to why there are so many candidates this election cycle, I can only make assumptions. The biggest is that there is a perceived lack of transparency from the administration and from the board. This is, beyond a doubt, one of the most difficult parts of being a board member. We are bound to rules and laws concerning executive session and confidentiality. So, when something happens with a student, staff member, or another event, there is a lot that we cannot say due to those rules and laws. From the outside it looks as if we are withholding information from the public or sweeping things under the rug, but I can guarantee that this has not and will not ever happen. There is a strong difference between what one will not say versus what one cannot say. There have been a handful of instances where the general public has raised an eyebrow at how things were handled and what the ultimate outcome was, and I assume that some of the individuals running for the board are doing so in response to those individual issues. I am pleased to say that my tenure on the board has no agenda other than to do what is best for each and every student, teacher, and staff at Wellsville Central School.
