Columbia letter writer supports school board candidates

The following letter appeared in the October 31, 2023 edition of LNP/LancasterOnline:

I am writing this letter to support Columbia Borough school board candidates Charles Leader, Sandra Duncan, Sonya Duncan, Kathleen Hohenadel, Lauren VonStetten and Sharon Lintner.

As a lifelong Columbia resident and taxpayer for many decades, I firmly believe that these candidates are the right choice to continue to lead our school district into the future.

The current board, which includes five of the candidates, has not raised taxes for the fourth year in a row — a notable achievement that demonstrates a commitment to fiscal responsibility.

In the June 15 board meeting, it was noted in LNP | LancasterOnline’s reporting that “Columbia High School’s attendance rate increased from 87% to 91%, with a goal of 95% during the past school year. In addition, Columbia Middle School Taylor Campus’ literacy rate jumped from 3% in the first quarter to 29% by the end of the school year based on the rate of students scoring proficient or higher on Text Dependent Analysis exams.”

Another notable decision by this board was the hiring in late summer of a district safety and security manager, along with the addition of safety officer positions to provide a safe environment for students.

I encourage my fellow school district residents to join me in voting for Charles Leader, Sandra Duncan, Sonya Duncan, Kathleen Hohenadel, Lauren VonStetten and Sharon Lintner to ensure that the Columbia School District continues to move forward.

Joe Lintner

Columbia