Peters Township School Board: Thomas McMurray

Thomas McMurray has chaired the Peters Township Board of Education's Finance Committee and Personnel Committee for several years. He's served as president for four years and vice president for five years, since joining the board in 1983.

Note: This is part of a series of candidate interviews. Refer back to our previous interviews with , , , and .

Thomas McMurray

• Lifetime Peters resident and  graduate
• B.A. in business management from Davis & Elkins College
• Employed by Golden Eagle Equipment Company as vice president and chief financial officer
• Certified Public Accountant
• 38 years experience in various levels of financial management for public, private and nonprofit entities
• Married with 3 children—attended all grades in the district
• School board member since 1983
• Intermediate Unit No. 1 since 1994
• Volunteer EMT and director for Peters Township Ambulance Service since 1970

What is motivating you to run?

It takes time and commitment to learn the challenges and intricacies of serving on a school board, and my board tenure and community residency has included many experiences that enable me to offer a historical perspective to the decisions that we are faced with.

What's the board's biggest issue?

I think that managing the expectations of our community, parents, students and staff is the biggest issue that we are facing. The current budget issue isn’t going to get any better in the near future and will be ongoing. The pension problem was only deferred for a couple of years and will return as will health care costs, special education expenses and the "pushing down" of costs from the federal, to the state, to the local governments.

Districts will not be able to provide the investments in technology, curriculum, athletics, class size, extracurricular activities, salaries and facilities that have been a part of the past and no one is going to be happy that they will see reductions in these or other areas.

Assuming you win, what would you like to accomplish during your term?

Continue to monitor the fiscal stability of the district and promote an educational initiative that will prepare our students for their future at an acceptable cost. This would include integrating technology and curriculum, so that they are used efficiently and further the goals of the district. The variances in student enrollment will also have to be closely monitored because of the lengthy process involved with building or renovating facilities. Additionally, any other revenue opportunities should be aggressively investigated including a foundation and additional uses of buses and facilities.

At this time, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the district? 

Strengths: Children that are in school to learn, and parents that understand and encourage education, strong teachers and staff and well-maintained facilities. "One district & one community" eliminates issues between districts that encompass multiple political entities, and a history of fiscal responsibility with attention to education as evidenced by the fund balance, tax rate and high-ranking of the district.

Weaknesses: Technology not being used efficiently or integrated as well into the curriculum as it should be; administrative turnover has slowed progress of the district.  

Read our full list of municipal election candidates for the May 17 primaries .