Previous Offices Held
Ran in 2020 for town council in Old Orchard Beach, did not win. Have not served in any other capacity.
Top Three Priorities
During conversations with my neighbors and community, I’ve heard the following issues are most important to them: 1. Exploring funding sources outside of property taxes to relieve the tax burden on residents and achieve our education goals. 2. Creating more positive awareness of how good Portland Public Schools are and have been, locally and afar. 3. Adding more classroom help for teachers and administrative staff.
Why are you running?
I want to serve my community and help guide the spaces that my child will enter when they are of school age.
What is the biggest challenge facing your area’s schools? The biggest opportunity?
Our aging infrastructure will require a lot of attention and money, which makes focusing on the academic support more difficult due to limited resources. Our biggest opportunity is how we raise money for these big infrastructure issues. A capital campaign to raise funds through donations should be a priority for any upgrades/renovations and new buildings.
A top issue for many parents is the age of Maine’s school infrastructure. How would you address this issue locally from your position on the school board?
There's no easy answer without an increase in funding from the state and an alternative and stable revenue stream that doesn't depend on increasing taxes. Hard decisions to either close or renovate schools will have to be made, and there's no answer that makes everyone happy. We have to make the best decision for the children with the resources we have.
Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.
The state needs to increase the education funding that Portland receives. We send a lot of tax dollars to Augusta and we aren't getting enough back.