Campaign Phone
5702022066
Campaign email
cgrapegarvey@verizon.net
Education
B.A. in communications/public relations, minor in political science from William Paterson University, summa cum laude. Master's courses in education at ESU.
Current Occupation
Nonprofit Community Outreach Coordinator & Housing Counselor
Qualifications for Office
I am currently serving my first term on the PMSD School Board. I am a representative to the MCTI Joint Operating Committee and have served on the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 Board. For almost 10 years, I worked in early education, community resources, and outreach for the Monroe County Head Start program/Pocono Services for Families & Children. I am a very involved parent, with one child currently attending Pocono Mountain East High School. In addition, I have been an assistant teacher and served the community through my work with United Way, helping those in need and raising funds. Besides being a soccer coach and involved in Girl Scouts, I have served on many community boards and supported many organizations.
Receiving adequate school funding (besides taxes) and creating a budget that doesn't increase taxes is probably the biggest issue. This isn't an easy task, when there is not enough state or federal financial support. Charter school funding needs to be overhauled, since the tuition is paid by the "home" school district and its taxpayers. Finances and the budget impact all the aspects of running a district and achieving goals/objectives, i.e.: employing the best teachers and staff possible; maintaining buildings/facilities; having sufficient supplies/equipment; expanding programs/curriculum; ensuring safety, and providing children with all the resources and options needed to succeed. Special education costs are another significant, but very necessary expense. Tax appeals by commercial properties have had an adverse impact. We must work with our state/federal legislators to find solutions. We need to develop creative funding ideas and try to cut costs. We cannot overburden taxpayers.
Campaign Phone
5702022066
Campaign email
cgrapegarvey@verizon.net
Education
B.A. in communications/public relations, minor in political science from William Paterson University, summa cum laude. Master's courses in education at ESU
Current Occupation
Nonprofit Community Outreach Coordinator & Housing Counselor
Qualifications for Office
I am currently serving my first term on the PMSD School Board. I'm also a representative to MCTI's Joint Operating Committee and have served on the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 Board. For almost 10 years, I worked in early education, community resources and outreach for the Head Start program/Pocono Services for Families & Children. I am a very involved parent, with one child now attending Pocono Mountain East High School. In addition, I have been an assistant teacher with CIU20 and served the community through my work with United Way, raising funds and helping those in need. A former children's soccer coach, I have been involved with Girl Scouts, served on nonprofit boards, and supported many community and school organizations.
Receiving adequate school funding (besides taxes) and creating a budget that doesn't increase taxes is probably the biggest issue. This isn't an easy task, when there is not enough state or federal financial support. Charter school funding needs to be overhauled, since the tuition is paid by the "home" school district and its taxpayers. Finances and the budget impact all the aspects of running a district and achieving goals/objectives, i.e.: employing the best teachers and staff possible; maintaining buildings/facilities; having sufficient supplies/equipment; expanding programs/curriculum; ensuring safety, and providing children with all the resources and options needed to succeed. Special education costs are another significant, but very necessary expense. Tax appeals by commercial properties have had an adverse impact. We must work with local, state, & federal legislators to find solutions. We need to develop creative funding ideas and cut costs. We cannot keep burdening taxpayers.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Campaign email
Strunkforpmsd@gmail.com
Education
Pocono Mountain East High School Alumni, Current Penn State Undergraduate Student
Current Occupation
Student/Small Buisness Owner
Qualifications for Office
I currently serve as Vice President of the Pocono Mountain School Board and have held this position for three consecutive terms. I am the youngest elected School Board Director in district history and I have represent the district on both the Colonial IU 20 Board of Directors and the Monroe Career and Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee. I am the first School Board Director in Northeast Pennsylvania to earn the Accredited School District Leader (ASDL) designation and one of three active recipents in Pennsylvania. Highest trained School Board Director in Monroe County with 150+ hours of specialized training. I also serve on the PSBA Governance and Policy Committee, have four years of service on the Legislative Platform Committee.
One of our greatest challenges is keeping our community whole. When families leave, when alumni don’t return, and when members of our community stop seeing a future here, we lose more than people, we lose part of who we are. The biggest issue we face is a weakening sense of connection, belonging, and investment in our schools and community. Our schools should reflect the heart of this community: its Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff, and Residents. To fix this, we must create real space for their voices, their experiences, and their ideas for what this community can become. I’ve proposed quarterly public work sessions and stakeholder roundtables to bring people together and create ongoing dialogue. Since the day I was elected, I’ve worked to build a culture of transparency and accountability. When we lead, listen, and work together, we don’t just improve education, we build a future worth staying for.
Campaign email
Strunkforpmsd@gmail.com
Education
Pocono Mountain East High School Alumni, Current Penn State Undergraduate Student
Current Occupation
Student/Small Buisness Owner
Qualifications for Office
I currently serve as Vice President of the Pocono Mountain School Board and have held this position for three consecutive terms. I am the youngest elected School Board Director in district history and has represent the district on both the Colonial IU 20 Board of Directors and the Monroe Career and Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee. I am the first School Board Director in Northeast Pennsylvania to earn the Accredited School District Leader (ASDL) designation and one of three active recipents in Pennsylvania. Highest trained School Board Director in Monroe County with 150+ hours of specialized training. I also serve on the PSBA Governance and Policy Committee, have four years of service on the Legislative Platform Committee, and
One of our greatest challenges is keeping our community whole. When families leave, when alumni don’t return, and when members of our community stop seeing a future here, we lose more than people we lose part of who we are. The biggest issue we face is a weakening sense of connection, belonging, and investment in our schools and community. Our schools should reflect the heart of this community: its Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff, and Residents. To fix this, we must create real space for their voices, their experiences, and their ideas for what this community can become. I’ve proposed quarterly public work sessions and stakeholder roundtables to bring people together and create ongoing dialogue. Since the day I was elected, I’ve worked to build a culture of transparency and accountability. When we lead and listen together, we don’t just improve education, we build a future worth staying for.
Candidate has not yet responded.
