School Director Candidate Spotlight: Don Fountain — Perkiomen Valley School District
This installment of our series of interviews with school director candidates across Pennsylvania brings us to the Perkiomen Valley School District.
Don Fountain is running for school director in Perkiomen Valley School District, located in Montgomery County. He is a registered Republican, a retired counselor and educator, and currently the owner of two preschools.
Why are you running for school board?
For over four decades I did everything I could to avoid school boards. I often felt they had little understanding of what the world of education was all about. Often, I felt if they would just stay out of my way, I could get back to focusing on the kids and my position as a high school counselor. Before the election four years ago, I was asked about running for the board and my initial response was to balk. They then asked a very simple question to which I really had no good answer. They asked who would know more about the school district and what goes on in it than someone who spent over a quarter of a century working and raising a family in Perkiomen Valley. Once I thought about that — and that, just maybe — I could be a benefit to the district that I love, I decided to run. I am now running for re-election because I feel there is still more that I may be able to do.
What are the most important issues facing your district?
There are many issues facing Perkiomen Valley. Being more fiscally responsible with the taxpayers’ dollars is a growing priority. There continue to be issues related to the perceived safety of students and the potential threat of bullying. The mental health of our students has always been a priority of mine. Bringing a commonsense approach to addressing many of the issues being faced by today’s students and schools and returning to more of an emphasis on family and a sense of community is essential. It’s time to be “Proud to be a Viking” again.
What is your professional background/experience? What skills would you bring to the board?
I have been an educator since 1979. In 1990 I became a counselor in Perkiomen Valley High School where I spent the next 27 years. Many of those years I spent as chair of the department. I retired from the district in 2017.
During that same period of time, I was a practicing counselor in the private sector working in several of the counseling practices in the area. I am still a Licensed Professional Counselor. I retired from the private sector in 2022.
In 2020 I also went into a business with my middle son starting a preschool. We now have two locations and run two summer camps. I also spent over ten years teaching counseling skills at the graduate level to students hoping to work in the school counseling field.
I’ve lived in Skippack since 1986 raising five children with my wife, all of whom graduated from Perkiomen Valley. My wife and I had shared almost 42 years together when she passed in 2022.
Taking all of this into consideration, I would say my ability to listen carefully and openly and maintain a focus on the impact, of any decision, to my students and teachers, would be a skill that I believe I bring to the table.
Have you run for political office previously? Have you been politically active?
Four years ago, I ran for a position on the school board and was fortunate enough to win. I am running, now, for reelection to that position. I do not consider myself to be a political person, and I do not believe that a school board should be a political position.
Are you running with other candidates?
Yes. The group I am honored to run with are Jason Saylor, Rowan Keenan (both current board members also running for re-election) and Russ Larson.
What is the most important role of the school board in your opinion?
The school board provides an oversight role making fiscal decisions that impact the entire community. Keeping the district solvent, without being a burden to the taxpayers is critical. Developing and maintaining a rigorous curriculum, while ultimately the responsibility of the teachers and administrators, must also be a major role of the board ensuring academics of the highest caliber and integrity focused on preparing the students for the world they will step into after graduation. Every board member must hold themself to the highest standards ensuring adherence to the mission statement of the district.
Please list any campaign websites and social media sites.
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.
