Holley School Board incumbent Donna Bopp faces four challengers in her bid for re-election. Newcomers Elaine Berg, Ralph Gleason, John O’Mara and Harold Phillips have also thrown their hats into the ring for this year's election. On May 15, voters will be asked to decide which of the three candidates will be chosen to fill three-year terms.

Elaine Berg said her reasons for running for the school board this year include her belief that she can make a difference for the children of Holley. Education and safety for the children are her main issues.

"We need to provide our children with the best education possible while still being financially responsible," she said.

Communication within the district needs to improve, she said. "It is the responsibility of the district to quickly and accurately communicate issues and changes as they arise."

Berg is a member of the Comprehensive District Education Plan Committee.

Berg and her husband, George, who owns a business in Holley, have lived in the area for the past 19 years. They have children in the third and the eighth grades. "We have had our share of bumps in the road in the last year or so and it is essential that we restore our sense of pride," she said. "There are a lot of great things going on in our schools and we need to be sure our community is aware of them."

Incumbent Donna Bopp is seeking re-election to what would be her second three-year term. "There is so much more to be accomplished," she said. "I definitely consider this a job that needs completing."

Bopp said she originally ran for the school board because she has two children in the school system and is very involved in their education. The most pressing issue before the board right now, she said, is working to meet the state standards and improving the "school report card." The report card is a measure by which the State Education Department ranks districts.

"I am a person who listens to both sides of an issue before making my decision," she said. "I vote my conscience rather than simply casting the popular vote."

Bopp and her husband, Tim, have two children, Jesse and Jayme.

Newcomer Ralph Gleason, a small businessman in the community, said he sponsors a lot of sports teams. His company makes an award to a Holley student who has the highest average in the building trades area.

"I figured that running for the school board was another way of giving back to the community," he said. "My business experience will come in handy as a board member."

Gleason’s wife, Buffie, works in the Holley Middle School office and their son, Brian, is a 10th grader.

"I am also looking to get involved in the school because I believe we need security in our schools," he said. "Other schools in the area have it and I think we need to step up to the plate and be proactive." Gleason would also like to see the school develop a web page because it would be helpful in keeping the community and the school connected.

School board hopeful Harold Phillips, who was defeated in his bid last year for a seat on the board, has decided to run again this year. "I am very into what is happening with my son in the school," he said. "I want to make sure my son, and the other children, are receiving the best education they can." Making certain the school and the students are meeting the state standards is one of the most pressing issues facing schools at this time, he said. Security in the schools is an issue, Phillips said, but before a lot of money is spent on security he believes research must be done to determine the best way to deter violence in the schools.

Phillips has been active in his son’s classroom and has participated in coaching sports activities.

John O’Mara declined to be interviewed for this article.