Experienced candidates file for Hancock board

From staff reports
A total of six candidates from across the county filed for election to the Hancock County Board of Education.

Weirton’s Patsy Brancazio served on the Hancock County Board of Education for more than 11 years from 1980 to 1992 before being appointed to the current board in January, filling an empty seat. Brancazio feels that his past experience will help him deal with the problems facing the county school system.

“The paramount thing is we need to work our way out of the deficit spending and get back into the black,” Brancazio said.

He said budget issues have become a serious problem, and he hopes that the board of education can improve the situation by curbing expenditures as much as possible, while providing a solid education for area youth.

“From what I’ve seen, we’re operating on a pretty lean budget now,” he said.

New Cumberland’s Jerry Durante, a graduate of Madonna High School, also hopes to fill one of the four member positions in the upcoming election. Durante is a former teacher, athletic director and coach at Oak Glen High School and spent 29 years as security manager at Weirton Steel. He also served as the transportation coordinator with the Hancock County School System before accepting a recent appointment to the board of education.

Durante was a member of the board of education from 1974 to 1986, serving eight years as president. During his tenure on the board of education, Durante helped oversee the building of Weir Middle School and the John D. Rockefeller Career Center and negotiated bonds upwards of $20 million.

Durante believes he brings more experience than any other candidate. His goal is to keep the school system “solvent financially,” while meeting the standards of 21st Century Learning.

Candidate Christina Fair moved to Weirton in 1978. She is currently employed as a nurse anesthetist at Trinity West Hospital and will earn her master’s degree in nursing education this summer from Franciscan University.

An eight-year veteran on the Hancock County Board of Education, Fair’s main goal is to continue improved communication with the public.

“In recent years, we’ve communicated through newspapers and news releases more than any other board,” she said.

She said she became very familiar with the state legislative process during her time on the board of education, and she hopes to “go to Charleston and bring back as much money as I can” for the Hancock County School System.

According to Fair, financial issues are the biggest problem facing the board of education, largely due to a dwindling tax base and student population. She hopes to balance the county’s financial status while maintaining high education levels.

With more than 35 years in the Hancock County educational system, candidate Laura Greathouse, of New Cumberland, brings a different kind of experience. Greathouse is a former teacher’s aid and teacher, and she hopes to join the board as a “responsive ear,” responding to concerned parents.

“As a teacher, I had a reputation for listening to the parents,” she said.

She added that a number of concerned citizens convinced her to file for election, and she brings “no agenda of her own.”

Greathouse also believes that financial issues are a serious problem facing the Hancock County School System, and she wants to make sure the reasons behind a number of recently created administration positions are made clear to the public.

Greathouse currently is working to create a summer school program for area elementary school children.

New Cumberland’s Mary Alice Jones believes that improving the education atmosphere for students, staff and service personnel is one of the major issues in Hancock County. She also hopes to improve public communication.

“I will do my best to have open and clear communications and work to build public confidence in the board of education so we can improve public sentiment,” Jones said.

She believes she has a “broad knowledge” of the school system, with experience as a substitute secretary in most schools throughout the county. She served as a member of the board of education from 1998 to 2002, and her accomplishments include hiring an in-county superintendent and assistant superintendent, as well as obtaining the School Building Authority funding for a new middle school and school renovations.

Jones hopes to be “a voice for the people” if elected.

Priscilla Dotson, of Weirton, is a first-time candidate in the race for the Hancock County Board of Education, although she explained she has years of experience in the local education system.

“I’ve been all over the system,” Dotson said, adding she has spent 26 years teaching in various areas of Hancock County.

Dotson believes her experience in the county will help with making numerous decisions, including when it comes to the school budget.

“I know they’re going to have some difficulties,” Dotson said. “That’s why I thought I could help.”

The election to select the new members of the board will take place on Tuesday.