Danville Area School Board fills vacant position

Mar. 6—The Danville Area School Board filled a vacant seat Wednesday night. The board unanimously approved the appointment of Derl Reichard Jr.

Reichard will serve on the board in the seat that was formerly held by June Heeter who resigned as of Feb. 7.

Six Danville residents applied to fill the position. The candidates included Robert Andrews, David Keefer, Castan Kiersch, Reichard, Sarah Ruhl and Kelly Smith-Wells.

All candidates were interviewed by the board Wednesday night and were given three minutes to answer the following prompt: "We have one current vacant position on the school board. Please tell us why you are the best person for this position."

Three rounds of a round-robin voting system were used to reduce the candidate pool from six to four, four to two and two to one.

In his response to the given prompt, Andrews said he'd like to bring something new to the board. "It's time for new blood, but if you need experience, I can give you that," he said.

Keefer said he believed Danville residents should be informed on and involved in district decision making.

"I believe it's time Danville people should be involved in decisions made in the district," Keefer said. "I know I'm old, but this is how I feel. People from the area should know the full story."

Kiersch, a local physical therapist who previously served on the board, said volunteering in the community was something that was instilled upon him at a young age and his career has allowed him to learn to connect with others.

"I think I communicate very well across socioeconomic and age boundaries. I have the ability to connect with anyone I talk with," Kiersch said, referencing a day at work during which he worked with a both 13 year old patient and an 85 year old patient.

School board President Sandy Green posed a follow-up question to Kiersch regarding his previous involvement on the board.

"There is a little perception of previous boards not necessarily following and understanding what the powers of board members are," Green said. "I've heard amongst the public there was significant controversy surrounding the board you sat on."

Kiersch explained his prior service on the board occurred during the pandemic. "It was a hard time and if the public has perceived that as being controversial, I did not see that while I was there," he said. "I committed to being here two years and doing the best I could at the time."

Reichard, 1998 Danville grad, currently has a son attending the school and is involved in several community organizations. His father, Derl Reichard Sr. serves on the school board, but Reichard Jr. said this would not be an issue.

"I'm an independent thinker and although I have close relationships with current board members, and even share a last name with one, I want to assure everyone that my decisions will be made on my perceptions alone," Reichard Jr. said.

Ruhl said she was born and raised in Danville and was taught to be of service to her community by father, who was a police officer and mother who worked at the state hospital.

With a three year old daughter of her own who is about to begin her education at Headstart, Ruhl said she wished to be a part of making the district the best it can be.

"Being part of this community, I know about all of the amazing things that come from Danville and I'd love to be a part of continuing that legacy," Ruhl said.

Smith-Wells worked for the Danville Area School District for 26 years and retired in 2022. Smith-Wells said she knows her community well.

"My husband and I have our own business where we give riding lessons to kids and adults and I have met lots of community members through that. I have served on different boards," she said. "I feel like I know this community and can represent it very well."

Prior to any voting, School Director Wayne Brookhart said Heeter's education-focused input was something he did not want to lose on the board.

"June brought a message I don't want to lose," Brookhart said. "I want to see that academic focus come back and I think we lost it."

Green said his biggest concern was whether candidates would be driven by personal agendas.

In the first of three voting rounds, Andrews and Keefer were eliminated. Andrew received two "yes" votes, Keefer received none.

In a comment between the first and second voting rounds, School Director Bob Umbriac said Smith-Wells' perspective as both an educator and woman could be an asset to the board.

Though in the second voting round, both Ruhl and Smith-Wells were eliminated. Ruhl received no "yes" votes. Smith-Wells received three.

Down to two candidates, Green summarized the pros and cons of both Kiersch and Reichard Jr.

"Castan Kiersch has prior board experience and a genuine interest in the district," Green said, adding that public perception could be the downside to his service on the board.

"Reichard is heavily involved in the community, is one of our active bus drivers and is very interested in serving," Green said. "The downside is he is related to another board member and that is a concern for some people and also that he has some financial stake."

In the final vote, Directors Kerry Hoffman and Green voted for Kiersch. Brookhart, Sam Faulkner, Tyler Garman, Reichard Sr., Umbriac and Richard Vognetz voted "no."

Reichard received the support of seven board members. Hoffman was the only board member to vote "no."