Seven candidates are on the ballot for five positions of school director in the East Penn School District in the Nov. 3 municipal election. Each position is a 4-year term.

Richard Mathesz and Incumbent Wally R. Vinovskis are running on the Democratic ticket.

Carol Allen and Chris Donatelli are running on the Republican ticket.

Incumbents Ken Bacher and Charles H. Ballard as well as Paul Champagne are cross-filed on both the Democratic and Republican tickets.

The Press asked each of the candidates the following question: What will be your first order of business if elected to office?

Ken Bacher

My duty as a school board member is to ensure that students receive a high-quality education-one that includes challenging academics and opportunities to participate in art, music and athletics-without placing undo burden on taxpayers. With a daughter at the high school and a mother-in-law on a fixed income in the district, I am mindful of the balance required. Education is fundamental to our country’s future success and good schools benefit the entire community through higher property values, stability and economic opportunity. I will work hard to preserve these benefits for our children and our community.

Charles H. Ballard

Securing the financial stability of the district is my first priority. The budget impasse and legislative inaction on property tax relief and pension restructuring have left districts across Pennsylvania in poor economic condition. We passed a budget knowing it had a structural deficit, in the belief that we would have better economic conditions next year. We need to continuously monitor that situation and develop plans to deal with future contingencies. We also need to make the public aware of the crisis created by the legislature trying to preserve their state paid jobs by avoiding raising taxes to pay the bills.

Paul Champagne

If elected it will be an honor to serve the voters of the district. Because I would be a new director, it is important to first establish good working relationships with all of the other directors, the district superintendent and the administration. Establishing these relationships is essential to better understand and make constructive contributions to the academic and fiscal challenges facing the district. East Penn has a history of strong academic achievement at all levels and continuing to build upon this success should be the priority of all directors. Making East Penn the best it can be for the students is what matters.

Richard Mathesz

I feel it is important to be engaged in maintaining a community that continues to thrive through the nurturing and development of future generations. My life and professional experiences enable me to be a resource to the school district in preserving the high academic standards we in the East Penn School District have come to expect for our children.

Wally R. Vinovskis

The first order of business in January [2016] is to begin to review the budget proposals for the upcoming school year. East Penn has deadlines for the 2016-2017 budget on Jan. 27 [2016] and Feb. 11 [2016]. I believe it is a priority for our school district to provide a quality education for the children of our community and to do so in a fiscally responsible manner. East Penn is one of the highest performing school districts in the Commonwealth with a relatively low cost per student. I would work hard to maintain that high standard in academics, athletics and the arts.

Carol Allen

The first order of business for me will be to become familiar with a broad range of information that directly affects the East Penn School District. In addition, I will focus my efforts on curriculum, reducing testing and data collection and teacher evaluation connected with Common Core/PA Core Standards. For years, our opponents have refused to acknowledge that Common Core/PA Core Standards exist. Chris Donatelli and I will help to lead the fight against Common Core.

Chris Donatelli

Although the current East Penn School Board appears to be more independent than the previous, Carol Allen and I offer a more well-rounded community oriented perspective. We would like to see the school board meetings web casted so busy parents can stay informed. We will work to reveal public information kept hidden by the current PSEA backed school board. We want the teacher’s contract negotiation and approval to be public knowledge. We want other matters, like hazardous waste burial on school property by school district employees, to be public information.