The race for an at-large seat on the East Porter County School Corp. board pits experience against youthful energy as two-term incumbent Jill Bibler faces challenger Lisa Kolan.

Bibler, 49, said the school district will face a number of issues in the coming years, including the building project at the three school complexes, transfer students, the state's assumption of school districts' general funds and the ongoing issue of tax increment financing districts set by the city of Valparaiso.

Her experience on a board that works very well together will be important in dealing with those challenges, Bibler said.

Dealing with the TIF problem involved an extended learning process, and retaining that experience will be vital in the coming years, she said.

If the district doesn't get anticipated state dollars, the board will have that challenge to deal with, Bibler said. If budget cuts become necessary, the last area for cuts would be in staffing, she said. But the district has been judicious and is not looking at cuts, she said.

In general, the board has taken care of things before they become problems, she said.

Now, the challenge for a high-achieving district is how to improve, said Bibler, who emphasized her strong ties to the community.

Newcomer Kolan, 33, said she likes to be involved in things she believes in, and the school system is one of them. She emphasized the youth and fresh ideas she would bring to the board.

As a bank manager, she works with employees ages 19 to 60 to accomplish a variety of goals and deals with a range of customers, she said.

That experience would serve her well on the board, she said, as well as being the president of business organizations during college and being in Kiwanis before the birth of her children.

Kolan foresees the growth of the district and meeting the community's needs in the face of that growth as challenges the board will face. To ensure the best quality education, she wants to see teachers get the tools and resources they need. She also is focused on maintaining strong board relations with teachers, the superintendent and the community.

Kolan pointed to a lengthy family background in district schools. Her grandmother was head cook at Morgan Township school, her father is a bus driver for the district, and both she and her husband attended Morgan Township. He children soon will enter district schools.

Bibler teaches technical writing and computers at the Carpenters Union Apprenticeship Program in Hobart. She also teaches computers at Merrillville Adult Education. She used to teach grade school in Valparaiso and was a teacher's aide in Kouts.

Kolan is a branch manager and assistant vice president at Centier Bank.

Also on the East Porter County School Board, Karen Higbie is running unopposed for the District 2 Pleasant Township seat, and Frank Dessuit is running unopposed for the District 3 Washington Township seat.