Previous Offices Held
I was elected to the Gorham School Committee in 2023, and am currently serving as Vice Chair, Chair of the Finance Committee, and Co-Chair of the Fiscal Sustainability Committee.
Top Three Priorities
My priorities are: to ensure our children receive the best education we can provide; to support educators and honor the expertise they bring in their field; to identify and implement solutions to reduce burden on local taxpayers.
Why are you running?
I am running because I believe Gorham has fantastic public schools and I want to see us continue to thrive. Our kids are the future, and all Gorham children deserve access to a bright future. No institution is perfect, and public education is complex. I believe I can have a more impactful second term with all I have learned in my first.
What is the biggest challenge facing your area’s schools? The biggest opportunity?
Our most imminent challenges are our aging buildings and space constraints. We have two bubble classes at Gorham High School next year, pushing the buildings limits. Our capital plan list is long, and we need to be cautious of our debt service line. Our biggest opportunities are our amazing kids. Over 60% reported they do not feel like they matter to the Gorham community. Thriving public schools strengthen our collective future and show that our kids matter.
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?
Continued focus on our 10-year capital plan. We need to make data-informed decisions on which capital projects to prioritize and try to reduce expense volatility by investing proactively in essential maintenance. Continued partnership with town counterparts to find project efficiencies and cost reduction methods is key. The board and its members must be a vocal participant at the state level on this issue as funding solutions evolve.
Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.
I think state government can be disconnected from local reality in practice. Mandates are often handed down without funding, which increases the burden on the property taxpayer. In other ways, state practices are outdated. For example, the state funding formula had long been outdated prior to recent updates this year. I believe in balance between both state and local oversight and that the collaboration needs to continue to improve.