Lyons, Misback Vie for Seat on Pine-Richland School Board

The race for five seats on the Pine-Richland School Board is fairly predictable in Tuesday's election, with one exception.

and are campaigning for the Region 2 seat that encompasses Pine and Richland townships. 

The other four seats have no opposition.

Incumbents and are running unopposed for Region 1, which covers five voting districts in Pine Township.

and are unopposed in their quest for the two Region 3 seats for Richland Township, which encompass four voting districts.

The nine-member school board's representation is split into three regions, with three people elected to represent each area.

Lyons vs. Misback

Christine Misback was appointed to this seat in the spring when former director, . 

She and Peter Lyons ran write-in campaigns during the May primary, which resulted in their names being placed on the Nov. 7 ballot -- Misback as a Democrat and Lyons as a Republican.

Lyons said he is a registered Independent whose fiscal philosophy is in tune with Republicans.

Misback said party does not matter to her.

"The school board is not a political position," she said.

Campaigning

Both candidates have spent a lot of time knocking on doors, meeting people and talking about Pine-Richland schools.

Lyons said he has enjoyed getting to know the community.

"I'm impressed with the level of knowledge and concern," he said. "It's heartening to see that."

Misback said she has received very positive feedback.

What is Peter Lyons' Philosophy?

Academics are the top priority and focus for all board policies, he said, and that often leads back to finances.

He said he thinks the school district's budget process could focus better on looking at academic priorities first.

 focused on non-academic issues, which "seemed entirely backward to me," said Lyons.

"Classroom size ... was hardly discussed at all," he added.

Lyons said he wants to see the board focus on basic academic fundamentals and core classes.

"I have spent a lot of time reviewing the budget," said Lyons. The public and board do not have enough information about non-academic expenditures, he added.

"I don't think we are managing our finances as effectively as we could," he said.

When it comes to academics, Lyons said, "I think we are doing well."

Given Pine-Richland School District's demographics, particularly income and educational attainment, Lyons said he believes the district should compare itself to other high-achieving districts like Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Quaker Valley.

"To succeed you have to have high goals," said Lyons.

What Is Christine Misback's Philosophy?

"We always have to look at academics first," said Misback.

"We have a very good school system here, but there is always room for improvement," she said. The goal is to maintain, sustain and improve education in the district, said Misback.

Given the current economic climate, it is important to watch how taxpayer dollars are spent, especially with reduced or fluctuating state and federal funding levels, she said.

Misback said she is not looking so much at cutting programs as viewing how lean the programs can be.

 in April, the directors already were deeply into the budget process and she had to absorb a lot of information quickly.

"I feel a lot more confident now than when I first started," Misback said. "It is a huge learning curve ... to really learn about what education is and all the different aspects."

She has attended conferences and read extensively to educate herself, she said.

Lyons' Background

Lyons is a portfolio manager at BNY Mellon with more than two decades of experience in corporate and government finance, He received his bachelor's degree from Tufts University.

His son is a kindergartener at .

To inform himself about the schools, he has attended school board meetings and read up on education issues. 

Lyons also has talked to parents with children at the district's six schools.

"What's wonderful is the level of involvement and concern from the community," he said. "This concern is what makes a school district great."

The school board is the "steward of the taxpayers' money and the taxpayers deserve financially qualified representatives on the school board," he said.

Misback's Background

Misback's three children have been from the elementary through the high school level in Pine-Richland schools. Prior to moving here, they attended schools in Florida and Germany, she said, adding that she thinks that experience gives her a varied and diverse background from which to draw.

She has a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the University of Maryland and was a practicing physical therapist for 13 years in management and patient care, .

Misback describes herself as a stay-at-home mom and a Pine-Richland School District director in her bio.

"To me this is a full-time job," she said of her position as a school board director. 

She said she has the time to volunteer in the schools, to listen and bring what she has learned back to the board and the administration.

Misback is in her seventh year as an elementary reading tutor and second year as the community coordinator for the high school blood drive. She was the Odyssey of the Mind coach for four years at and also has been active in numerous PTO and club activities.

She also has worked on various committees for the district -- academic achievement, student activities, buildings and grounds, strategic planning, international rooms, parent-teacher liaison and the world language task force, her bio states.

Misback said potential voters she met during her door-to-door visits "like that I am very involved."