Rev. Norman Huff has spent many years serving the Tyrone community as a pastor at the Church of the Good Shepherd. In his retirement, he is looking to continue his service to the community by seeking a third term serving on the Tyrone School Board of Directors.
“My main interest is to make this school district the best in the state,” said Huff. “I want to see that our children and youth are given the best education possible. I believe that we are doing the best we can with the limited resources possible. With no budget agreement at the state level, it makes the goal tough to accomplish. I believe that we need to have the best qualified teachers who I believe that we have. We need to work hard to provide the best effort as elected directors in the best interest of the students and taxpayers.”
Many of the incumbent directors have said that No Child Left Behind is the most important issue facing the Tyrone School District. Rev. Huff believes it is important, but feels that the drug problem in the community is the most pressing problem the school district faces.
“We need the help and support of parents and families to fight this drug problem,” said Huff. “We need their help, cooperation and understanding to do what is needed in order to stop this menace to our young people and our community..”
Huff believes that the standards in the No Child Left Behind program is tough to achieve.
“I firmly believe that No Child Left Behind is a deep mystery in the eyes of all local school boards and administrations,” said Huff. “I am not sure that those pushing it understand what it is about. The big problem with No Child Left Behind is that none of us are equally blessed with the same ability to reach the same goals.”
In the past 18 months, the Tyrone School District has been doing its part to help curb the drug problem in the schools.
“I believe that our policies on drugs are as good as we can get them,” said Huff. “We need the parents, school district and community to get together and do something to fight this problem. The Kiwanis Club is working to put together a program for second graders called Home Run Against Drugs. More people in the community need to take a role and get involved fighting this problem.”
The district is at the beginning stages of an $8 million expansion of the middle school. With the school population dropping, Huff still feels that this project should go forward.
“I feel that enrollment is going to go up,” said Huff. “You can already see it with the increase in kindergarten students this year. With the completion of Interstate 99, more people will move to this area and work in State College. You can also see the population growth in Warriors Mark. The new homes in that area has grown tremendously over the past few years.
“I believe that it is important for the students to have a separate gymnasium and cafeteria,” Huff continued. “This will give the students the sense that they have their own school. We also need another gymnasium for the school district and the community. I believe that this project is needed.”
After serving two terms on the school board, Huff promises to continue to serve as he has.
“I will give the same faithfulness in attendance I have in the past eight years,” said Huff. “I will represent doing the best with the talents God has given me to make the Tyrone School District a better place and work to make the Tyrone community a better place as well.”
Huff will appear on the Republican and Democratic ballots in the November election.
