Editor’s note: Two (2) candidates are on the ballot for one (1) open seat on the Mattapoisett School Committee.
Carly Lavin, Incumbent
My name is Carly Lavin, and I am seeking reelection to the Mattapoisett School Committee to ensure that all students get the best education this town can responsibly afford to offer. I believe that my professional skills garnered through my current role as head of operations for a financial software company as well as former career as an actuary would be a continued asset to the Mattapoisett School District. In my career as well as my past service to our schools, I have always been willing to ask questions, listen, and synthesize information. I accept the responsibility that comes with making decisions. I know how to compromise and reach decisions based on the merits of issues. I have a vested interest in the quality of that education that we provide, as I am a mother to four young children ranging from pre-K to Grade 5. If reelected, these are the three core areas I will continue to focus on: 1. Advocate for a science-based literacy curriculum from Pre-K through Grade 6 and ensure funding is appropriated towards the critical needs of literacy; 2. Financial transparency to the townspeople on the cost of education per pupil, including working with Town Hall to ensure the costs of our shared-use building are allocated appropriately. Having represented the School Committee in serving on the town Capital Planning Committee for the last year as well as my involvement in the School Consolidation study, I am well versed on the town’s aging infrastructure and upcoming needs. As far as the school consolidation study, I look forward to helping inform the community of all the pertinent facts after the final school consolidation presentation on May 15; 3. Ensure our buildings provide a safe environment for both students and educators. I am running for reelection for the Mattapoisett School Committee to make sure that my children, my neighbors’ children and grandchildren, as well as the next generation of learners, get the best education this town can responsibly afford to offer. I will keep the education of and welfare of Mattapoisett’s children as my primary concern while representing the best interest of all constituents.
David F. Pierre Jr., Challenger
I am running for the Mattapoisett School Committee because I care deeply about the education that children receive in our town. I know I would bring a unique perspective to the committee because I have been a teacher for over 20 years. I began my teaching career in South Central Los Angeles, where I taught for eight years, and I now teach middle school math in New Bedford. My wife is a teacher as well, a first-grade teacher in Acushnet. Our daughter is a freshman at Old Rochester Regional High School. Mattapoisett is a wonderful town, and you see its strength in its families. We feel lucky to have moved here when we did in 2009. I am a lector and parishioner at St. Anthony’s Parish, and I assist in teaching a Confirmation class there. As I’ve gone to doors and talked with members of the community, I have been very encouraged by the positive reception I’ve received. I have also realized that I am not alone in believing that our School Committee is in need of a fresh pair of eyes – and, most notable, some balance – to the issues facing our schools today. The issue of a possible consolidation of Center School and Old Hammondtown is an extremely important one, as it would have a profound effect on the overall fabric of our town. It is crucial that this entire discussion be as transparent and deliberate as possible. I look forward to the upcoming presentation from the Collins Center from UMass to see what their long-awaited study has uncovered. Another concern is the continued trend downward in enrollment in ORR, and this is surely a point of focus when it comes to budgeting in the future. The increase in utilities cost is also a concern, as well as the loss of ESSER funds which will probably expire soon. But what remains is the top priority to provide children the best education possible in Mattapoisett.