This year there are eight candidates running for four seats on the Pioneer Board of Education. The top two candidates will receive five-year terms, the third-place candidate will serve a two-year term, and the fourth-place finisher will receive a one-year term. Candidates were asked for a brief bio, and could also supply a statement. They are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Eric Slocum (incumbent), Pioneer Class of 1983, is a lifelong resident of the school district and lives in Arcade. He is an insurance agent/broker, and president of Arcade Knight Agency.
Mr. Slocum and his wife Joanne have three grown children—Megan, Matt and Ryan—who graduated from Pioneer.
STRENGTHS: I have experience serving on the School Board, and have served on other local boards previously.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE ABOUT PIONEER? I would like to see the preservation of Arts, Agriculture and Athletics, and of course top-tier education choices.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
• Volunteering as an EMT with the Arcade Fire Department
• 14 years as a Town of Arcade councilman
Darla Schwab (incumbent) of Delevan is a life-long resident of the Pioneer School District and a 10-year member of the Board of Education. Her three children attended Pioneer. Mrs. Schwab also has seven grandchildren.
Mrs. Schwab is self-employed at her family’s dairy farm. She said she feels she brings the following qualities to the Board of Education: patience, responsibility, tolerance and communication.
Mrs. Schwab is active in her church as well as fundraising for the Arcade Area Chamber of Commerce.
In summary, Mrs. Schwab said she has “enjoyed my last 10 years on the Board of Education and would love to be able to continue.”
Pat Hoffman has resided in the Pioneer School District for 56 years while she and her husband attended Pioneer and raised three children.
Mrs. Hoffman provided the following statement:
“All of us attended Pioneer. I believe in many routes to success and our family exemplifies that. Our three grown children—Amanda, Jennifer and Dale Jr.— also attended Pioneer. Dale Sr. became a meatcutter following high school and later managed a department. Amanda attended college and earned her master’s degree at University at Buffalo in social work and counseling. Jen attended the New York Institute of Massage and now works in a legal office. Dale Jr. received a job offer running heavy equipment immediately following high school and CA BOCES, and now owns and manages his own business. I attended college while raising our three young children earning two certifications in both Elementary Education and Exceptional Education as well as a master’s degree. Our family is reflective of Pioneer’s various programs and varied opportunities.
“I have met many of you as I committed well over 30 years working and volunteering in the district. As a parent, I volunteered in Delevan Elementary School, the Middle School and on various district committees before becoming an employee. As an employee, I taught within both special education and general education classes, mentored several new teachers, served on various curriculum committees, including the former Shared Decision Making Team, and acted as the Department Chair in Middle School. Later on, it was requested that I serve as Transition Coordinator and CSE Chair in the High School. Within those roles, I became acquainted with many local business owners and adult agencies who graciously offered opportunities for student internships. Within that process, I further developed the ability to consider varying viewpoints, listen receptively, communicate effectively, process information, solve problems, and serve as a leader and team player. Most importantly, I advocated for students who gleaned benefit from Pioneer’s strengths in this area.
“My mindset supports varied curriculum and programs and strategies that help guide students towards their long-term goals. It is crucial that school boards continue to support multiple pathways leading to a diploma and/or various certificates leading to a trade. These include school to work programs, opportunities to learn a trade, internship opportunities, and college preparation coursework. There is no room for a one-size-fits-all approach to education. Sometimes less is more, but a solid foundation in.basic knowledge, skills, communication and problem-solving is vital. I support a data-driven system of instruction and shared decision making. I am able to support inquiry into what is best for all students while considering fiscal responsibility.
“Above all, I am ‘Pro Public Education’. Nonetheless, I am not naive. I understand Pioneer’s strengths AND areas of need. Together, we must work on those. It is crucial that:
• A multi-tiered System of Support be developed and then updated annually.
• The district remain goal-oriented with well developed action plans in all areas.
• We begin to proactively establish a means of attracting and retaining skilled educators and staff.
• We remain open minded to ideas and concerns of the community, staff and especially the students.
• We consistently consider and respect one another’s perspective and experience.
“Thank you for entrusting me in the past. Now that I am retired, I would deeply appreciate your vote for a seat on the Pioneer School Board as Pioneer restructures and creates our future workforce.”
Denise Urbino (incumbent) of Bliss has resided in the district for 26 years. She is a retired child care provider. She and her husband Bob ( a Buffalo firefighter) have four grown children and five grandchildren.
STRENGTHS: There are two strengths I bring to the board. The first strength is the knowledge I have learned from being on the board for the last eight years. People have told me, “It takes a good five years to understand the process. They are not wrong. I feel like I have gained so much knowledge that I am able to apply that to the discussions I have with my fellow board members and the public. My second strength is that I have worked with children for over 35 years, specifically in the district for over 20 years as a childhood administrator of a local child care center. I know what difficulties the children in our district are up against. They absolutely need a support system they can rely on. I am trying to make sure Pioneer can be the system for them.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE? There are many features I would like to preserve. The most important thing to me is to preserve the community involvement. It is essential as a school district to have the community involved in as many aspects of the district from attending musicals, sporting events, Board of Education meetings, and voting. It takes everyone to make Pioneer the great district we know it is. There have been many changes in the past five years. I am a firm believer of children being in the classrooms. Remote learning is useful occasionally but not full-time. Children need to be with their peers and their teachers. I know myself, I am a hands-on learner and many children are the same. They absolutely need to be in the classroom to fully understand what is being taught to them.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: First and foremost I serve the community as a Board of Education member. There is a lot of time that I put into making sure I am well prepared for our meetings. Many people think you just show up, but the truth is, there is a lot of reading and researching that is done. I do this so I have the knowledge to be able to make smart and informed decisions. I also attend and contribute to many fundraisers that our community has. I shop locally and I feel that is so important to keep our local businesses healthy and viable.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW? I feel the voters should know I am committed to the students and voters of this district. My goal for being on the board is to make sure our children are taken care of educationally, emotionally and to make sure they never leave school hungry. There are many children in our district that only eat when they are in school. We as a district have to continue to provide healthy meals for the children.
Jim Fleischman resides in Chaffee and attended Pioneer. He and his wife Shelley have two children, Cora and Connor.He is self-employed at Automotive Alley in Arcade.
STRENGTHS: I am a well organized and detail-oriented person. I am also an effective communicator who works well with others. These traits are important for a role on a board.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE? Technical education is important in today’s world. Helping provide the best environment for students to identify their path of success is a priority.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: I am a financial supporter of youth sports. I contribute to and support local charity events.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW?
• Local business owner
• Alfred State College automotive instructor (14 years)
• Erie Community College Advisory Board member for automotive instruction
• Member of IPAS industry group for automotive/business
Kate Uhteg is a resident of Arcade and has three children attending school at Pioneer. She is employed at Suburban Adult Services Inc. as Director of Community Services.
STRENGTHS: My background is primarily in leadership roles. I have years of experience adhering to budgets, requesting funding, and following state-regulated guidelines for a non-for-profit agency. I have been a strong advocate for those with developmental disabilities and believe my roles as a leader could be beneficial on the board.
As a mother of three children currently enrolled in schools within the district, I have a genuine concern for the continued success of the district. This concern, along with my demonstrated record of being a strong voice for others, will make me a powerful asset to the board.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE? I would encourage more opportunities for parents and families to be able to express their opinions, concerns, and ideas. Community involvement is vital to the success of any school district. Providing opportunities for public engagement is the responsibility of the district.
I’d like to promote an environment where parents feel they can speak openly and candidly about concerns, suggestions, or feedback.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Over the years I’ve taken on several volunteer roles to help serve our youth in the local community. I have volunteered as a youth soccer coach, helped teachers in a classroom environment, and regularly help advocate for those with developmental disabilities. I’ve also developed close relationships with a few community members with special needs that I continue to support as a friend and advocate.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW? I’ve spent the last 15 years of my career working in public service. My passion is to give back to our community. Not only do I have three children and a sister whom attend the Pioneer school district, but I am also a proud Pioneer graduate. I care deeply about the continued success and positive development of our schools and would honored to represent many other parents who feel the same.
Amanda McKerrow (Pioneer Class of 1997) lives in Arcade with her husband Ryan and their son Tristan (Class of 2027). She works at Navient Inc. as a Third-Party Vendor Risk Manager,
STRENGTHS: I have spent much of my career in a compliance-related capacity. I am skilled with reviewing/evaluating current, new, and emerging legislation and regulations as well as implementing necessary change in policy and/or process to ensure compliance.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE? Pioneer is known for its academic, vocational, artistic, and athletic excellence. I would like to see those legacies preserved and continued. We should strive to ensure every student gets to experience success. My interest in the board position would allow me to help ensure our staff is well-equipped with resources to perform their everyday responsibilities, while also being prepared to manage the unforeseen events that may arise.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: After being a long-time volunteer with the program, I have, within the last few years, taken over the administration and facilitation of Navient’s Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program run in connection with the Pioneer School District and conducted in the Delevan Elementary building. The program provides our students with free books to take home and encourages Navient employees to volunteer as in-classroom readers on “RIF Days”.
I have also served on the Board of Directors for Pioneer Youth Wrestling – a wonderful and long-standing program meant to encourage physical activity through wrestling, while also building strong and seasoned wrestlers to feed our school wrestling program.
In spare time, I’ve also been known to sew some quilt blocks for the local Quilts of Valor chapter (sponsored by Creekside Fabrics, Quilts & Yarns), a program designed to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW? You will often see my family at Pioneer events – whether it be watching a band concert, taking in an art show, cheering at an athletic event, or grabbing dinner at a chicken BBQ fundraiser! My husband and I strive to set a good example of school spirit, attendance, and participation for our son. Being involved as part of the Board of Education would continue the lesson to our son of community involvement and duty.
Lowell Cleveland of Arcade and his wife Patricia have resided in the Pioneer School District for 20 years. He is retired from Roswell Park Cancer Institute where he was Power Plant Operator.
STRENGTHS: I would bring the strengths of a multi-displinary background having worked in both technical and academic settings.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE OR PRESERVE? 1) Reinforce and expand parental rights. The parents are responsible for their minor-age children. The school and the state do not own the student. 2) Develop academic knowledge and reward merit. 3) Expand trade courses and integrate these skills with academic subject material for all students. 4) Express gender reality, not a gender fiction. 5) Express moral values as a foundation for healthy living and development of a world view.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:I served six years with the U.S. Navy, and periodically assist with projects at Grace Worship Arts, along with assisting with the archery league set-ups at Pioneer Christian Fellowship.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW? U.S. Navy nuclear power program and submarine duty; BA from Houghton College; Member of Higgins Wesleyan Church.