Current Board Members
The Kutztown Area School District Children First PAC supported four candidates that ran for election in 2021. The following three candidates are currently serving the Kutztown Area School District for 4-year terms (2021-2025.)
These board members are committed to providing the best education possible for our children. They are here to serve the community. Please feel free to contact them and give them your feedback.
Jason Koch
Region 3: Townships of Albany, Greenwich, Borough of Lenhartsville
With three young children going through the district, I am seeking the opportunity to join the school board and be a strong voice in the education they are receiving. With beliefs based in Christian, conservative ideals, I do not support some of the policies recently passed by our school board. KASD needs policy and curriculum that strives for academic excellence and equal opportunity for all students. There is no place for divisive ideologies such as ongoing systemic racism and equity-based outcome in our school. These socially based agendas are taking the focus away from the critical areas like reading, writing and math that will shape our children’s future success.
EDUCATION
Juniata College
Kutztown Area High School
WORK EXPERIENCE
After many years in the insurance industry, now operates all aspects of family owned business with locations in Hamburg & Kutztown.
SKILLS
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Self-motivated learner with strong leadership skills
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Substantial experience in policy review and negotiations
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Ability to translate complex information into simple concepts.
Erin Engel
Region 2: Maxatawny Township
As a member of the KASD community, your voice needs to be heard. I will be here to listen. Each child who walks through the doors of one of our fine schools is an investment in the future, an investment you are a part of, be you a parent, caregiver, or tax-paying citizen.
As a stay-at-home mom to two children in the district, I am, and always will be, an advocate for parental rights. The years 2020 and 2021 have been decidedly difficult for many. As we watch many of our rights being systematically eroded, I will fight to prevent governmental overreach in our institutions. Regarding the safety and health of our children and students, parents - as well as the students, themselves - need to be heard and respected. Masks and “vaccines” remaining optional is fundamental to avoiding division in the schools.
We need to get back to teaching the basics. Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic are the roots from which everything else grows. We need to be sure our children are learning History so they can learn from previous mistakes, value where we have been and what we have gone through, and have an appreciation for those who have come before us.
Hi. My name is Erin Engel. My family and I have lived in the district for the past 17 years. My husband and I chose Kutztown for its small town feel, and for the reputation and small class sizes of the school district. Having grown up in center-city Allentown, as a student at William Allen High School, these were two things I did not experience. Recently we sold our home on Main Street in Kutztown, and when deciding where we were going to move, we didn’t even consider moving out of the district because we value the connections we have made in the community, both in and out of the school. As a new resident of Maxatawny, I look forward to serving and representing our community as its newest School Director.
Jeremiah Light
Region 3: Townships of Albany, Greenwich, Borough of Lenhartsville
I have been a native of Berks county for 45 years and have resided, with my wife, in Greenwich Township since 2005. Our two children, ages 8 and 13, attend Kutztown Area School District. I have been involved in the construction industry for over 25 years. Currently, I am employed as a working project manager for a local construction firm. My work experience will help me investigate and solve any problems or issues that may arise in the district while attempting to bring people together. Making the future better for our children is one of the main reasons that I am truly vested in this community.
I am running for KASD school board for the following reasons. It is the school board’s responsibility to not only listen to and work with the school administration, but also the parents, business owners, and residents of the district. The first priority of the board is to provide the children with the best education possible in a great atmosphere for learning. The second priority is working with everyone involved in the district. There must be an understanding that while everyone may not agree at all times, respect and honesty towards all involved must play a part of a board member’s philosophy. I also believe that the board needs to be transparent and accountable with it’s actions. Politics do not belong in the classroom. Accountability needs to be restored in our district.
Thank you in advance for voting for me for KASD school board. I look forward to collaborating with our constituents!