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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is running for School Committee in Worcester this year?
WORCESTER ― With election season just a few months away, the race to see who gets seats on the Worcester School Committee is underway. The School Committee is arguably the second most powerful elected board in Worcester behind the City Council, overseeing a school district with approximately 25,000 students and 4,000 employees, and a budget approaching $600 million. The School Committee members will be tasked with evaluating a new superintendent, Brian Allen, who was hired to replace the departing Rachel Monárrez in May. They will also oversee the effort to replace Burncoat High School, while grappling with uncertainty at the federal level, including a lawsuit against the Trump administration's plans to eliminate the Department of Education, in which the school district is acting as a witness on behalf of the plaintiffs. According to the City Clerk's office, every current member of the School Committee is running for reelection, some running unopposed while others have multiple challengers. Former Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Maureen Binienda is running for reelection. Binienda ran for the School Committee in 2023, after her contract as superintendent was not renewed. She ended up receiving the most votes of any candidate. Binienda has been a vocal critic of Monárrez, who was hired as Binienda's replacement. The other incumbent at-large candidate is Sue Mailman, who is seeking her third term on the School Committee. A staunch ally of Monárrez, Mailman has been vocal about her desire for the committee to take more progressive positions in the district, particularly on social issues. A new candidate for an at-large position is Adwoa Sakyi-Lamptey, who according to her LinkedIn profile is an employer relations manager at Clark University. Molly McCullough, who has been on the School Committee since 2015, is seeking reelection as District A representative. The granddaughter of former Worcester Mayor James O'Brien and the niece of longtime state politician Thomas White, McCullough is a notable supporter of current Worcester Mayor and School Committee Chair Joe Petty, having held prominent positions on his reelection campaigns in the past. She is running unopposed. Vanessa Alvarez is the lone candidate running in District B, according to the City Clerk's office. Alvarez, a Worcester native, was first elected to the committee in 2023. The youngest member of the current committee, she is a social worker and has been closely supported by Mailman during her first term on the committee. Dianna Biancheria, who is easily the longest-tenured member of the committee, is running for an eighth term, having first been elected in 2009. Biancheria has been vocal about her desire for increased security and safety in the Worcester Public Schools, and has generally been supportive of Binienda's motions on the committee. Challenging Biancheria is Feanna Jattan-Singh, who has created a website for her campaign. According to the website, Jattan-Singh is a mother of four with two students attending North High, and is aiming to increase transparency in the school department and institute different ways for parents to have their voices heard in the district. A real estate agent, Jattan-Singh previously ran for City Council in District 3 in 2023. The lone candidate in District D is Alex Guardiola, who is seeking reelection after first being elected in 2023. Guardiola is the head of the Better Business Bureau of Central Massachusetts and has a close relationship with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. The most competitive race this year will likely be in District E, which has three candidates. First, incumbent Kathleen Roy, who has first elected in 2023. After working as both a before-and-after school programming director, Roy has pushed for greater community involvement from parents and calling for greater school safety policies, often voting in lockstep with Binienda and Biancheria on committee motions. Challenging Roy is Nelly Medina, who fell just short of beating Roy in 2023, losing out on the seat by just 97 votes. Medina works for the Worcester Education Justice Alliance and is a local advocate for various progressive causes aimed at improving the lives of disadvantaged youth. The third candidate is newcomer Noelia Chafoya, who has been campaigning for months already, regularly attending School Committee meetings and launched a website last year to challenge Roy. A graduate of North High, Chafoya has said she wants to push for further STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) programs and career and technical education access for Worcester students. In District F, incumbent Jermaine Johnson is running unopposed for a third term on the committee, having first been elected in 2021. A social worker and Worcester native, Johnson has served as vice chair on the committee over the past two years and has at times taken the floor to call for greater comradery from the committee, which is often divided on significant issues. Since the mayor of Worcester also has a seat on the School Committee, the winner of the mayoral election will end up on the committee in 2025. Mayor Joseph Petty, who chairs the School Committee, is seeking an eighth term as mayor. Petty has been a big supporter of Monárrez as superintendent, and the progress that the city has made in school construction has been a key part of his mayoral campaign. Petty will be challenged by City Councilor Khrystian King, who has been on the council since 2015. A progressive, King has been in attendance at recent school committee meetings and recently filed a petition to determine if Worcester Public Schools had any interest in the use of former Becker College buildings that were purchased by the city. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Who is running for School Committee in Worcester this year?
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sandwich School Committee candidates on school safety, diverse programming
One School Committee seat is up for grabs during the 2025 Sandwich town election, which will be held May 8. Three candidates will run for the three-year seat including Alexandra Higgins and Megan Tammaro and incumbent Danielle Binienda. The town of Sandwich, according to 2024 statistics, has roughly 17,581 registered voters and six precincts, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office. Election polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Times asked those running for biographical information and answers to four questions. The candidates are listed alphabetically by last name. AGE: 49 TOWN OF RESIDENCE: East Sandwich LENGTH OF RESIDENCE THERE: 20 years WORK/EMPLOYMENT: Dental hygienist EDUCATION: Earned an associates degree in science CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Current School Committee member, Chair of the Superintendent Evaluation Subcommittee. Formerly served on Special Education Parent Advisory Council, the Parent Teachers Association, the Parent Teacher Student Association, and the Commission on Disability. One of Sandwich's key strengths is the district's academic rigor, said Binienda. There is a vast number of advanced placement offerings and a high number of students passing these exams, she said. The implementation of the new Career Pathways program at Sandwich High School offers courses and internships within the fields of computer science, biomedical science and business. These programs equip students for their future careers, she said. Another strength is REACH, a responsive education program offered at Forestdale School, she said. Book Buddies is another great program at Oak Ridge where older students mentor younger readers. This program allows students to practice their skills and make connections, said Binienda. A weakness within the district is the facilities, she said. "Deferred maintenance has gone on for too long. Superintendent Joseph Maruszczak has been a valuable asset in identifying the needs and prioritizing projects that are of the utmost importance," she said. If she is re-elected, Binienda said she hopes to address student retention, oversight and improvement of district facilities, and school safety. An important goal for Binienda is to showcase all that Sandwich has to offer. It's also important to provide a positive experience for students and families in order to retain and attract new students, keeping enrollment numbers steady, she said. Binienda will also continue to encourage innovative course offerings such as the Career Pathways program that has been implemented over the past year, she said. "There are opportunities for students to take courses and participate in internships in areas such as computer science, biomedical science and business," she said. "Having desirable facilities and grounds is a representation of the positive culture that we are striving for in the Sandwich schools." In terms of aging school buildings, said Binienda, it's necessary to address further capital needs in a more comprehensive manner. The high school, she said, needs updated science labs and athletic facilities. "The high school is 49 years old and the two elementary schools are 36 years old," said Binienda. "Due to deferred maintenance for many years, we are faced with prioritizing projects within the district that are necessary and within the means of our budget." School Safety is also important, said Binienda, and has been a top priority for her since she first ran for School Committee in 2022. "Our District Safety Team has grown in the past few years and consists of public safety, school and town officials," she said. The Safety Team, she said, has been proactive in performing full scale exercises, professional development, and re-unification drills throughout the district. There was also a District Safety Threat Assessment performed several years ago that identified security vulnerabilities within the district and suggested measures to take, said Binienda. If re-elected, she will continue to support recommendations from the Safety Team. Binienda brings a unique perspective to the School Committee because she has two children in the district, she said. One of her children receives special education services, and her other child participates in the general education classroom. She understands the challenges that families can face when having a child with learning differences. "There has been a lot of positive progress in the district during my time on the School Committee, but I realize there is still important work to be done," said Binienda. "It is vital to have someone with institutional knowledge on the Committee — one that is flexible and can handle tough decision-making." AGE: 34 TOWN OF RESIDENCE: East Sandwich LENGTH OF RESIDENCE THERE: 5 years WORK/EMPLOYMENT: Stay-at-home mom CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Sandwich Mother's Club For Higgins, Sandwich's greatest strength is the district's administrators. School officials, she said, genuinely care about students. Higgins is also grateful for the local community. "This town is one of the best places. I feel lucky to raise my family here," said Higgins, who is working toward earning a psychology degree. "Each summer we see so many people come here, but even when fall comes and it's just the locals, there is still such a strong sense of community." However, Higgins said transparency and communication between school administration and families could improve. Additional access to resources to help parents and students navigate certain issues, whether it be bullying or just support with academics, could also be better, said Higgins. Higgins will focus on issues surrounding inclusion and access, she said. "Whether it is access to testing or screening if a student is showing signs of struggling in a certain area academically —kids from all backgrounds and with all different ways of thinking and processing information should feel welcome and encouraged in our schools," she said. If elected, Higgins said she will also make transparency a priority by equipping families with information surrounding town policies. With families better educated about how the town works, they can be more involved with critical issues like bullying, curriculum or facilities, she said. Higgins will also work hard to support teachers, she said. It's critical that school staff feel supported and have access to safe, well maintained facilities and classroom resources, she said. "I love supporting our classrooms any way I can, and as part of School Committee, I want to ensure that teachers have what they need for lessons without a personal financial burden," she said. Higgins will work closely with other School Committee members and the community to tackle any issues that arise, she said. As a mother of three neurodivergent children who all have individualized education programs or IEPs, Higgins said she knows that children learn differently. "I have ADHD, and I know that school was very difficult for me," she said. Because Higgins is trying to earn a degree in psychology, she said she's spent many hours researching child development to help best support her three boys. "I want to work closely with the board to help all children have the best learning experience they possibly can while they are in our schools, she said. "I'm passionate about supporting students, parents, as well as the teachers, so that these kids have what they need to succeed in their individual ways." Tammaro didn't answer calls and emails from the Times for comment. Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@ Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Meet the 3 candidates for Sandwich School Committee
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sandwich election results: Sampson wins Michael Miller's Select Board seat; more
In Sandwich's town election May 8, School Committee incumbent Danielle Binienda won by a landslide, while a new Select Board member nabbed a seat by just a few votes ahead of a challenger. Binienda was scooped up 1,141 votes, defeating Alexandra M. Higgins who pulled in 669 votes and Megan Tammaro who received 455 for the three-year seat, based on preliminary results provided by Town Clerk Taylor White. The committee has seven seats. With 657 votes, David J. Sampson was elected to fill a one-year unexpired term on the Select Board. Runner-up Gene Parini received 641 votes and third place finisher David Edwin Newman got 328 votes. The seat opened with the death in November of Select Board member Michael Miller. With the reelection of incumbents Robert Patrick Ellis and Charles M. Holden to three-year terms the board is back up to its full complement of five members. The 2025 Sandwich town election was held Thursday. The town, according to 2024 statistics, has roughly 17,581 registered voters and six precincts, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office. Ballot question 1 showed a difference of opinion with votes almost split down the middle. Ballot question 2 was approved with a resounding affirmative vote. For the majority of the 20 years Binienda, 49, has lived in East Sandwich, she has been involved in groups dedicated to students. Binienda, of East Sandwich, has served one term on the School Committee but is also chair of the Superintendent Evaluation Subcommittee. And she formerly served on the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, the Parent Teachers Association, the Parent Teacher Student Association, and the Commission on Disability. Binienda is also a dental hygienist. During her campaign, Binienda said she was interested in heightening student response programs like REACH and the new Career Pathways program at Sandwich High School. The programs, she said, equip students for their future careers. Binienda, in an interview with the Times also said she hopes to address student retention, oversight and improvement of district facilities, and school safety. Sampson, 47, of Forestdale has lived in Sandwich for the majority of his life, he told the Times in a prior interview. Sampson served on the Board of Selectmen from 2016 to 2022, and works in technology services. Sampson currently serves on the Rotary Club of Bourne-Sandwich, is a Sandwich Community Television board member, and is vice chairman of the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce. Throughout Sampson's Select Board campaign he said he was concerned with the rate of taxes town residents are currently paying, and said he was also focused on wastewater infrastructure and mitigation. Sampson is also ready to invest in the public school district, he said. The schools, he said, haven't sustained the same level of maintenance that the town has, he said. On a tally of 811-740, voters rejected Ballot Question 1 to increase the surcharge to generate money for the town's special Municipal Water Infrastructure Investment Fund. That money can be spent on maintenance, improvements and investments to municipal drinking, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure assets. The money is raised through a surcharge on the annual property tax assessed on real property. The surcharge originally accepted by the town is 2%. The amendment would have increased the surcharge to 3%. Voters also considered a non-binding public advisory ballot question related to Holtec, owner of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth. Residents voted yes with 1,366 votes to call on Gov. Healey and other officials to stop Holtec from releasing gaseous discharge of the radioactively and chemically contaminated industrial wastewater at Pilgrim. According to the ballot question, releasing the gaseous discharge violates the Ocean Sanctuary Act. Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@ Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Sandwich election results: Select Board, School Committee, questions
