Address: 185 Back Narrows Road

Occupation: Manager & Event Coordinator, Mine Oyster Restaurant & Catered Events 

Education:Bachelor of science in business administration, concentration in criminal justice 

Political History (Board, Committees): None 

Clubs/Organizations: American Legion Auxiliary; University of Maine Alumni Association; Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society 

Considering the position you are running for, what do you feel are the three most pressing issues? (350 words or less): As Boothbay taxpayers, 60%, on average, of our property taxes are allocated for the school budget. While we must provide a safe, healthy, school for our students, I believe we can achieve this and not be economically frivolous. As a business major, I understand the concept of getting the most for the least and that requires negotiating, compromise, and sometimes, a lot of creativity.

Having said that, a substantial amount of the budget is spent on staff and administration. When I was in school there was three times the student body, we have today, with half the staff. While I understand there is a larger amount of state requirements regarding adult to student ratio, now, that we didn't have when I was in school, these numbers still seem excessive. I want to be clear I am not about firing people. I am talking about a way to be able to better use the skills and knowledge they have, to better serve our student body. I believe that we already have the talent within the schools to ensure our students have the educational background necessary for their futures. We just need to adjust our use of these resources to ensure this result. 

Which leads me to returning to the core principles of teaching, reading, writing, and arithmetic. I am concerned about the low-test scores of our student body. I understand and agree that we have special needs and learning impaired children within our student populace that require and deserve a specialized curriculum to achieve their educational goals. My fear is that we may be focusing so much on this specialization that the general student body is paying the price with their education. How does a child get to third grade only reading at a first-grade level?  Reading is the foundation of all other subjects. How do they know what social studies or science books are teaching?  Even math must have the use of reading to understand the proper procedures and functions. We must raise these test scores!!! The future of our children and our grandchildren depend on it. Right here, right now. We hold their futures in our hands. 

If they fail, we have failed them! 

Any other thoughts on why you are running or what you can bring to the office? 150 words or less: I am a fifth generation Boothbay Region resident, a Boothbay Region Alumni class of 1984, and a grandmother of 3 who all attend Boothbay Region Elementary School with a wide range of grades Pre K, Grade 3, and Grade 8 in the fall. I am running to give back to the community and my alma mater but most importantly to try to ensure a bright, prosperous, future for the generations to come. I believe that this is our responsibility and want to live up to that responsibility.