Sheffield native Jeffrey Labesky has announced his candidacy as a Democrat for Region II School Board. Labesky, 53, is a 1982 graduated of Sheffield Area High School. In 1986, he graduated from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. In 1992, he was accepted into a Masters Degree program at Gannon University where he pursued his Masters Degree in Community Counseling.

Upon graduation from Gannon University in 1986, he accepted a position with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He maintained his employment at the United States Federal Penitentiary in Lewisburg until 1990 whereupon he was promoted and transferred to FCI McKean County, Pennsylvania. He has since retired after 25 years of service with the Department of Justice. The majority of his career he served as a Treatment Specialist dealing with the release of Federal Inmates back into the community all over the country. He was involved with various Federal Agencies, such as the United States Attorney’s Offices, The United States Parole Commission, various U.S. District Judges Offices and Federal Probation.

Also, during his career, he was the Charter Vice President of Local 3974 for government employees. He served as Chief Steward for approximately 18 years. He served on the initial Master Agreement Contract for the new prison and Negotiated Supplemental contracts throughout his career at FCI McKean County, Pennsylvania. His Union activities involved being a witness at numerous arbitrations and had many dealings with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Labesky lives in Sheffield, with his wife, Heidi, who owns her own business. They have been married for 28 years and have two children. Tyler, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a daughter, Abby, who will graduate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania this May.

He shows his dedication to the community in various manners. He is a member of the Sheffield Vets Club, the Sheffield Lions Club, the Sheffield Rod & Gun Club, and the Sheffield Sports Boosters where he serves on the Board of Directors. He also serves on the Sheffield Township Tree and Parks Commission. He is currently the Vice President of the Warren County Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials. For the past five years he has been the assistant head football coach at Sheffield Area High School. He also serves as a liason between the Sheffield Lions Club and the cub scouts and boy scouts of Sheffield. He has been a licensed PIAA Basketball official for the past 15 years. While living in Kane, Pennsylvania, he was Varsity Boys Basketball Coach for four years, while securing a District 9 Championship and two trips to the PIAA Basketball Playoffs. While in Sheffield he was the Sheffield Girls Varsity Basketball Coach for two years. He has over 20 years of coaching experience with boys and girls in the Sheffield and Kane School Districts.

His reasons for running for the school board will be to get students more involved in school activities. There are way too many students doing “nothing.”

“If elected I will bring to the board the concept of “Mandatory Participation,” Labesky says.

Presently, he is employed as a substitute teacher with Kelly Services in the District.

“I see it first hand the amount of students who are not involved in anything within or outside the school district,” Labesky says. “If students will not take the initiative and the parents will not then I feel it is necessary for the School Board to make it Mandatory to participate in some form of school activities in order to graduate.”

Labesky is a firm supporter of Public Schools, Catholic Schools, Charter Schools and Cyber School. “People can complain all they want but these schools are here to stay,” Labesky says. “It is the School Board’s responsibility to provide the utmost choices for our students to excel at the next level.”

“I also feel that my background with Unions and Management can help fix any issues that are currently ongoing,” Labesky says. “I have attended a Union Meeting with the teachers where I have expressed to them that nobody wins in a strike. Both sides lose in the long run and if elected I will present my ideas to the present school board on contract negotiations.”

“In closing, I wish to tell all constituents within Region II that I will support our region to the best of my abilities and will be ‘fair’ and ‘impartial’ in my dealings with others and none of my decisions will be ‘arbitrary’ or ‘capricious.'”