Three candidates vying for two seats on Akron Central Board of Education

Three candidates have filed petitions and are running for the two Akron Central School Board of Education seats to be filled later this month.

The annual meeting and election of the Akron Central School District, will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m., in the District’s High School Gymnasium (orange gym), 47 Bloomingdale Avenue, Akron, New York, for the purposes of voting on the budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and electing two members of the Board of Education. 

Before voters is a $43,926,821 budget for 2024-2025.  The budget represents a two percent increase in the tax levy, lower than the 5.82 percent allowed under the State Tax Cap calculation.

“It is a solid budget,” Akron Central School Business Administrator Cynthia Tretter told Board members during her presentation of the spending plan.  “The Administrative team worked hard to fund what they needed to fund.”

Phillip Kenline, Erik Polkowski, and Charles Roggen are running for the Board of Education, their bios follow.  The two receiving the highest votes will be elected.

Phillip Kenline

Phillip Kenline is running for reelection to the Akron Central School District Board of Education.  Mr. Kenline has served on the Board for the last six years and has a total of 12 years of school board experience.  His involvement in education goes back to his time in the Navy when he became a Navy Instructor and continues today as the intermediate science teacher for grades 5 through 8 at St. Stephen School on Grand Island where he is completing his tenth year in the classroom.

Kenline is a retired Command Master Chief who served 30 years in the Navy at a variety of shore, air, staff, and sea commands.  His experience in the Navy gave him a strong administrative background and, as mentioned, was where he had his introduction to teaching when he became a Navy Instructor in 1984.

His final twelve years in the service as a Command Master Chief involved him in the management and directing of programs addressing the needs and development of junior Sailors and their families.  After his retirement from active duty in 2005, he discovered that retirement wasn’t exactly all it was cracked up to be.  He became a school bus driver in the Akron School District.  It was then that he realized he would rather have all those kids in front of him in a classroom than behind him on a moving bus. 

He returned to school at Buffalo State College and graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in secondary education in 2011.  Over the next three years he was a substitute teacher in various districts throughout Western New York at both the Middle and High School levels.  In 2014 he was selected to be the science teacher at St. Stephen School where he developed the program that enabled the 8th grade students to complete the requirements for the NYS Regents exam in the Living Environment.

He also was instrumental in setting up a school greenhouse and hydroponics program at St. Stephen’s that extends the classroom to the outdoors.  It offers the students an opportunity to learn practical life skills and compliments the classes offered to the students that teach them what might be remembered as “home economics,” basic life skills like cooking, sewing, and budgeting.

St. Stephens is also one of the few schools that can say they have a Beekeeper’s Club that currently maintains two beehives at the school.  Mr. Kenline has been a beekeeper for over 45 years and he and his students currently manage two hives on the school grounds. 

Kenline, his wife Emily, and their three children moved to Akron upon his retirement and return to the Western New York area in the summer of 2005.  All of his children are graduates of Akron Central and reside in the area.  Emily has been the Principal Clerk Typist in the Middle School office for the past four years and has prior experience in the Elementary and Middle schools.

Erik Polkowski

Erik Polkowski is seeking reelection to the Akron Central School Board of Education.  Polkowski shares this Helen Keller quote, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

He has been an Akron resident for the past twenty-seven years. As an active community member, he has served as a leader for the Akron Celebration Committee, Akron Sports, and Tanya’s Trot for Epilepsy. He serves as president of the Trinity Lutheran Church council and is serving his fifteenth year as a member of the Newstead Planning Board.

In his professional life, Polkowski is a small business owner in the field of construction and engineering, specializing in reinforcing steel. He has honed his skills in multiple disciplines, including estimation, proposal, design, and management of projects throughout regions of the US and WNY.

As a proud parent of two recent ACS graduates, he and his wife have been involved in Akron Music Parents, PTA, athletics, school clubs, and other student life activities. Polkowski has served for two terms on the Akron School Board, currently as President. He serves as a member of the Erie County Association of School Boards executive board and a Legislative Team Co-Chair. Erik has been recognized by ECASB, receiving the Sabo Advocacy Award along with multiple Rising Star and Shining Star awards. An Eagle Scout, he is reminded by the Scout Oath to always “do my best” and “help other people at all times”.

Charles Roggen

Charles Roggen, a proud lifelong resident of the Village of Akron and a 2009 ACS graduate is seeking his first term on the ACS Board of Education.

“My wonderful wife, Heather, and I are raising our daughter in our home on Fassett Avenue. Ensuring a high quality of life in Akron, particularly for families and children, is a priority that Heather and I both share,” Roggen notes.

Currently, he serves as a NYS Correctional Officer at the Attica Correctional Facility. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, traditions passed down from his father that he plans to share with his daughter.

“I’ve decided to run for the Akron Board of Education because, like many in our community, I want the best for our students and our district. I aim to advocate for trade schools as an alternative path to higher education for our high school students. By providing diverse learning opportunities, we can guide our students towards successful careers. I also believe in fiscal responsibility, respecting our taxpayers by ensuring operational efficiency and equipping our students with the tools they need for success beyond ACS,” Roggen said.

“Parents in the Akron/Newstead community deserve a Board of Education that is committed to delivering the highest possible standards for our students. Questions often arise about the proposed use of community tax dollars. It’s crucial for board members to ensure that budget funds are used appropriately. This can be achieved by a board that is committed to working collaboratively, not just among themselves, but also with parents and school administration,” he said, “Akron has always been, and will always be, home to me. I kindly request your vote on May 21st.”