Politics & Government

School Board Candidate: Herb Ohliger

Candidate profile for the upcoming primary election on May 17.

Herb Ohliger is a first-term member of the school board who thinks the district has made progress over the past four years but still needs work to become more competitive.

“The fiscal house is definitely in order,” Ohliger said “Right now, we’re addressing test scores and academic achievement. Time will tell.”

Ohliger pointed to last year's hiring of Brian White Jr., the new district superintendent, as evidence that the school board is serious about making changes to improve the curriculum.

Find out what's happening in Chartiers Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He also said the board is doing a good job to weather a difficult financial situation with state budget cuts that have adversely affected other school districts.

“We were able to take care of those problems before they came to the forefront,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Chartiers Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ohliger, 51, of Scott Township, graduated from Pitt with degrees in psychology and information science, and he currently works in computer services and programming.

He noted that the district has one of the lowest millage rates in the county despite raising taxes by a half-mill last year. That, he said, put Chartiers Valley in a better position to improve education without making major cuts.

“We need to make sure our students are competitive globally, whether it be in the job market or college,” Ohliger said. “I think putting this (new) administration in is the first thing and then working with faculty to help facilitate those goals.”

Ohliger said he is still not satisfied with the academic level, but he is convinced the administration is moving in a positive direction. As a life-long resident of the district, he said he wants the school system to be on firm footing moving into the future.

“I really want to see the youth succeed. I enjoy working with them,” Ohliger said. “When I look at those kids, they all see the end of something, and I see the beginning of something. I really want to give them the tools to succeed.”

All of the candidates and profile stories can be found on our .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Chartiers Valley