The latest installment of our series of interviews with school director candidates across Pennsylvania brings us to the Souderton Area School District.

Kim Wheeler is running for school director in the Souderton Area School District, located in Montgomery County. She is a registered Republican and a small business owner.

Why are you running for school board?       

“I realized the value of our school district during the pandemic. One of my children had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and was able to thrive by remaining in school, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Souderton’s School Board. If our schools had only offered virtual or hybrid learning, my child would have been set back years in his education and social development. Seeing firsthand the benefit of a school board that puts kids first gave me the desire to help other families in the same way. I want nothing more than to give back and help support our future community members.”

What are the most important issues facing your district?

“These are the important issues we are focused on in the Souderton Area School District:

• Academic Excellence: Erasing any learning loss from the pandemic and standing against the indoctrination of our children.
• Maintaining Low Taxes: Maintaining the trend of lower school taxes than the other districts in our county. 
• Parental Rights: Committing to transparency and partnerships with those who love and know the students best: their parents and guardians.
• Character Counts: Keeping politics out of our classrooms so that all students and employees feel safe and included.”

What is your professional background/experience? What skills would you bring to the board?

“I grew up in Bucks County and graduated from Bensalem High School. I then graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Education. Eventually, I became an entrepreneur and business owner. Five years ago, we successfully moved both businesses home to Harleysville to be closer to family and to get a better education for our children.

“I will be an asset to the school board with my diverse background, including my B.A. in English Education, business owner mindset, and being a Souderton Area School District mom.”

Have you run for political office previously? Have you been politically active?

“No. I have not run for political office before.”

Are you running with other candidates?

“Yes. I am on the Keep Souderton Strong team, with Ken Keith, Nick Braccio, Mike Barnacz, and Bill Formica. More information on our team and what we stand for can be found on our website.”

What is the most important role of the school board in your opinion?  

“I believe in the importance of helping each student get the education they deserve. It is essential to thoughtfully use our resources to afford the best possible preparation and experiences for all children. The current number of instructors required for learning assistance is overwhelming, but we must strive to serve students equitably at all learning levels.”

We contacted the Democratic and Republican committees in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties and asked them to share the questions with their school director candidates. Broad + Liberty will post the responses throughout the summer to assist voters in learning about the candidates running in their district. The series is open to any school director on the ballot in November. Please contact barosica@broadandliberty.com for more information.

Broad + Liberty is a nonprofit media endeavor dedicated to sharing voices and stories that are shut out of other media outlets. @BroadAndLiberty