SOUDERTON — A team of five candidates is running for five seats on the Souderton Area School Board.
Titled, “Keep Souderton Strong,” the team consists of Mike Barnacz, Bill Formica, Kim Wheeler, Ken Keith and Nicholas Braccio. Keith and Braccio are incumbents. They are running against another team titled “Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership,” consisting of Elise Bowers, Kristina Bertzos, Rosemary Buetikor, Andrew Souchet and Scott Swindells.
School board candidates can cross-file on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. The top five vote-getters on each ballot will appear on the November ballot.
Below are the responses to a list of questions sent to all of the candidates.
Ken Keith
Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I have proudly served on the Souderton Area School Board for 14 years and am currently the Board President. In addition to my board duties, I am Vice President of Consulting Services for a global consulting firm, where I lead a team of diverse individuals who are focused on helping pharmaceutical companies meet their current and future Regulatory, clinical, manufacturing and enterprise obligations. Throughout my career, I have consistently excelled and honed my skills in leading teams, championing keys projects, effective budgeting, strategic planning, and strong communication. All of these skills have helped me as a leader on the School Board and in the community. I am a life-long resident of Harleysville and graduate of SAHS. I am also the proud father of four children, who I value spending time and encourages to follow their dreams, work hard, be compassionate, and be an active volunteer in their community. I have served as a life member in the Harleysville Community Fire Company, a member of the Harleysville JC’s, and board member of the #IronDad23 foundation.
Why are you running for the position?
I am passionate about keeping our community safe and strong, helping kids succeed, and advocating for parents/guardians rights regarding their children. As a current School Board member, I will stay focused on getting kids back on track after the pandemic, getting back to a focus on education including advancing STEAM initiatives in our schools, reforming the current charter school funding model, and making sure all students can be safe and successful in Souderton.
What would your priorities be as a school board member?
Keeping kids safe is always paramount. However, I am also focused on rebounding academically post-pandemic. We fought to find safe and effective ways to keep our kids in school and provide options for parents that wanted their children to be at home. Now, I believe we can accelerate the rebound by focusing on key academic performance measures and by continuing to incorporate best practices along with input from the community, parents, and guardians. SASD has already shown to be a leader in getting kids back on track while supporting their needs.
Nick Braccio
Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I have served on the Souderton Area School Board for 12 years and am currently the chairperson of the Technology Committee and a member of the Operations Committee, where I leverage my experience in the construction industry. Outside of my duties on the school board, I keep busy with work, family, and volunteering with the Special Olympics. It was my experience on the School Board that ignited my passion for volunteering for the Special Olympics, where I am an alpine skiing coach. I have lived in the area for 34 years. I am a member of the Harleysville Lions Club and was local Scout leader for many years.
Why are you running for the position?
I have always had a passion for volunteering and serving my community. In my time on the school board, I have appreciated the profound impact we can make on all students. Through my support of the PATHWAYS program, I am proud to have witness hundreds of Souderton High School graduates become successful members of our great community. I want to continue to serve on the school board because I am confident, together, we can continue to build our future leaders.
What would your priorities be as a school board member?
I believe that all students in the district, especially students with special needs, should be prepared to attain educational and career goals after graduation. At Souderton, we do this through providing access to an excellent education that is personalized to the child’s needs.
Mike Barnacz
Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I have decades of experience starting or buying businesses and driving them to highly profitable organizations. Most of my career includes owning multiple martial arts schools in the greater NYC area, where I focused on building a community and deeply understanding how to help children of many different backgrounds through the discipline and focus of martial arts. It was my privilege to have witnessed many examples where our program helped children with behavioral challenges, as well as ADHD and autism. When my wife and I were expecting our first child, I made the decision to focus on family and support my wife’s career growth. At that time, I became a stay-at-home Dad that has been involved in our community and church – including going into Philadelphia every week to feed the homeless with a group from the Harleysville area.
Why are you running for the position?
It’s simple. I care. I have 3 children that I want to have a full and enriching experience in the Souderton Area School District. But, just as important, is supporting their life-long peers in the same way. Now that my youngest child is 3 years old, I have more time to do what I have always wanted to do – support this wonderful community. This is the best way to make an impact for the future of our community. It will be my honor and privilege to support our next generation of leaders.
What would your priorities be as a school board member?
The future of our community depends on our public school’s ability to prepare children for the real world, by teaching them how to think, and not what to think. It’s important for children to develop their ability to think critically and engage in civil discourse with their peers. That’s my vision on how we bring this community together.
Bill Formica
Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I have lived in Harleysville for 51 years and graduated from SAHS along with my wife Gina. At the age of 26, I started my first business and have been an entrepreneur and local business owner ever since. I founded First Financial in 2007 with the goal of providing equipment finance services to a wide range of commercial customers. As the owner of a successful commercial finance company and three other companies, I bring the solid business sense and skills necessary to run the School Board. I consider myself to be a good listener that considers all points of view when making decisions. I will continue with the fiscal responsibility that the Souderton School Board has demonstrated over the past several years and keep taxes low.
Why are you running for the position?
I want to be on the School Board to leverage my skill set with finances and budgeting to maintain low taxes and the quality of life in our community. Importantly, I want to ensure that your children are being taught the necessary skills to flourish in our society. I want to protect the rights of parents and protect your students from indoctrination.
What would your priorities be as a school board member?
I believe that we need to fight hard to make the choices in our school based on what the community wants; not based on the priorities or ideology of outside influences. Students have a right to a balanced and unbiased education. Parents should be assured that their children are learning factual and bipartisan content. As a school, it is our duty to keep politics and employee viewpoints out of the classrooms and maintain a level of respect for all students and staff members.
Kim Wheeler
Describe your background and qualifications for the position you are seeking.
I grew up in neighboring Bucks County and graduated from Bensalem High. I then graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a BA in English Education. In Florida, I married and started my family. In fact, my 2 beautiful children are now SASD students. Eventually, I became an entrepreneur and business owner. I partnered with my husband start a small business, all while starting my own online business. Five years ago, we successfully moved both businesses “home” Harleysville to be closer to family and to get a better education for our children. I will be an asset to the school board with my diverse background including my BA in English Education, business owner mindset, and being a SASD Mom.
Why are you running for the position?
I realized the value of our School District during the pandemic. One of my children had an IEP and was able to thrive by remaining in school, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Souderton’s School Board. If our schools only offered virtual or hybrid learning, my child would have been set back years in his education and social development. Seeing first-hand the benefit of a School Board that put kids first gave me the desire to help other families in the same way. I want nothing more than to give back and help support our future community members.
What would your priorities be as a school board member?
I believe in the importance of helping each student get the education they deserve. It is essential to thoughtfully use our resources to afford the best possible preparation and experiences for all children. The current number of instructors required for learning assistance is overwhelming, but we must strive to serve students equitably at all learning levels.
Keith, Braccio, Barnacz, Formica and Wheeler issued a joint response to the following question:
Several school boards and municipal libraries in the area have been grappling with policies regarding content of books. What are your thoughts on this issue?
We are not in favor of banning books. We believe that books should be age and content appropriate as the only limiting factors. Similarly, history is important and should not be banned or limited in any way. Your children should be able to see all sides of every issue, not just what some want them to see while blocking out other important facts and information.
Students have a right to receive an unbiased education while evaluating all learning opportunities with an inquisitive mind. The future of our community depends on our public school’s ability to prepare children for the real world, by teaching them how to think and not what to think.
The primary election is on Tuesday, May 16.
