In a brief statement, Ms. Ondilla stated, “Public education should not be a right or left leaning institution. A great education should be for all, and I believe everyone can agree on wanting the most well rounded and thorough education for our children. If education must have a direction, it should be to move students forward and prepare them to be successful in all aspects of their futures,”
Key priorities in Ondilla’s Campaign include:
Fiscal Responsibility – Nazareth is currently in the process of needing to build a new elementary school due to population growth and will also need to expand the high school in the near future. She is committed to finding the best ways to make sure that the school budget is being put to good use for the betterment of the students, teachers, and community and not used to further political or personal agendas. She understands that tax increases are planned and believes that the previous expansions were not adequate upon completion and that smaller tax increases over the past few years could have helped alleviate the new proposed tax plan. She also would like to make sure that all residents who qualify for the tax rebates are aware so that they can take advantage of the programs in place for qualified individuals.
Transparency & Communication – The community should always be made aware of what is happening in the school district and how to access the information that they may need. Community members deserve to have more timely responses regarding questions, concerns, and issues that may arise. Accountability matters.
Teacher & Parent Cooperation – Teachers need to be supported and able to do the job that they are hired to do. Nazareth School District is one of the best in the Lehigh Valley area and can continue to get even better if we allow the teachers, staff, and administration to properly do their jobs. Parents should always be their child’s biggest advocate, and they should want to be involved in the educational process. They can do this by attending school board meetings, joining the PTA/PTO, volunteering for youth activities and sports, attending parent/teacher conferences, and so much more. It comes down to teamwork. We need parents and the community to support the teachers and the district, and we need the district to help ensure that the children receive the best possible education.
Collaboration with Local Government – Work with the local townships on shared goals and addressing important issues such as population growth more thoroughly. This would also lead to stronger relationships between the schools, community, and local government which could lead to future opportunities and even joint committees or task forces for specific issues, such as school safety, community development, recreational facilities, and more.
Ondilla has a nine-year-old son currently attending Kenneth N. Butz Elementary School. She credits him for her reason for running for the school board.
“My son is my world, or at least the very best part of it,” she commented, “I want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure that he is receiving a great education and gains an appreciation and love for learning. I feel that he has that in Nazareth and I hope that continues. Education should be a lifelong journey for everyone, and we should encourage our kids to expand their minds with knowledge and form their own informed opinions throughout their lives,”
Ms. Ondilla is committed to doing her best to ensure that Nazareth Area School District remains a top school in the area and continues to thrive and improve. She wants to take care of the great teachers and staff in the district and make it a place that attracts the very best talent. She believes public education is extremely important and that all kids should be able to feel safe and accepted at school. Political agendas should not be in a public school’s curriculum.
If you are interested in learning more, please Like and Follow “Samantha Ondilla for Nazareth Area School Board” on Facebook and be on the lookout for the launch of her website!
(About Samantha Ondilla:
Samantha is a dedicated wife and mom. She works full-time as a Global Marketing Director with a focus on UV filters, anti-microbials, and antioxidants. She feels that her career experience helps her to be very open minded and understand that people can have different
opinions, experiences, and ways of doing things, but also work together for the best possible outcome for all through communication and compromise. She also is proficient with budgeting, financial strategy, and establishing corporate policies and regulations.
Samantha volunteers her time with the KBES PTA and heads STEAM Night and the Holiday Shop. She has had her company donate to provide ice cream for STEAM Night and also to help ensure that all kids can participate in events regardless of financial circumstances. Samantha also volunteers with the Nazareth Area Science Project and helps with local youth sports organizations.
5 comments:
I have known Sam personally for many years. She is very local community oriented,and I believe would be a great addition to the NASB
I have been so impressed with Samantha since she entered this race. She was already a heavily engaged parent in the school district but she has thrown herself into learning everything she can about school board, the district's finances, and how we can help our students succeed.
She is exactly what we need in a school board representative.
They are all good before they start.
Samantha likes REALLY small font. Say less, Sam, it speaks more.
Wish you the best Sam💕You would be a wonderful , insightful addition to- Nazareth is a great district
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