BELCHERTOWN — School Committee Chairwoman Dawn French faces a full slate of challengers as four vie for the one-year seat.
French’s name appears on the annual town election ballot alongside Jacquelin Currier, Joseph Schmidt and Randi Shenkman. Schmidt could not be reached for comment.
Three candidates are also vying for two three-year seats on the School Committee. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Belchertown High School.
Arriving in Belchertown with family in September, Currier brings with her a vast set of experiences as an Army wife.
The 40-year-old mother of two girls, Currier said her family chose to build a life in Belchertown for the school system.
“That was a huge thing for us. We had heard wonderful things about the system … we’ve seen great things but there can always be more,” Currier said. “The more they have — whether that be a happy teacher or a puppet show that comes in — they need those things.”
A trained teacher, Currier has worked in schools in Rhode Island and Georgia.
“I have seen so much. A lot of people here, and even my family, when you live in northeast, you tend to stay in the northeast. I’ve seen a lot of other schools and seen a lot of other things that can work and can’t work,” she said. “My experience in the different schools and just my experience being a mom and being a military wife — I’ve seen a lot of policies. I’ve seen a lot of strengths and want to bring a lot of those things to my kids’ permanent home.”
If elected, Currier said she wants to be there to listen and to help.
“I know I haven’t been around for very long, that doesn’t mean I don’t have the experience in being in other places and having seen other things,” she said. “The parents here are concerned. They feel like they need someone that is there for them.”
The budget and its deficit is an important issue facing the committee, Currier said.
“There has got to be places that are maybe not being seen — look between the lines — see what other districts are doing to cut their budget,” she said. “We don’t have to be the only place we look. We need to be open to new thoughts, new ideas, not always about raising fees.”
Win or lose, Currier said it’s been a positive thing.
“I want parents to feel confident, I want teachers to feel confident and I feel, right now, they don’t feel confident,” she said.
The current chairwoman of the School Committee, French said she loves being part of the change.
“I love knowing that I can come in and be a part of good change, doing what is right for the district and students, and moving the district forward in a positive way,” she said. “I’m here because I truly want to advocate for the students, the staff and the district. I’m tremendously invested in this district.”
The manager of a Belchertown restaurant, French, 46, is finishing her first three-year term on the committee. Prior to joining, she volunteered for seven years as part of the Cold River Parent Teacher Organization.
French said she has had extensive training on committee happenings.
“I feel extremely comfortable and extremely knowledgeable on the process and the position,” she said.
Before her three boys were born, French worked as a teacher in classrooms from kindergarten to third grade.
Like many of the candidates, French said the budget was a big issue facing the committee.
“These are difficult times for public schools. Funding is not where it needs to be. That is a difficult factor,” she said. “If you don’t have enough money to do all of the things you really need to move the students forward, it’s definitely not a good position to be in for anybody, and we definitely want to do what is best for the kids.”
In her time with the committee, French includes the revamping of district policy manuals, creating a more fluid curriculum and hiring Superintendent Karol Coffin among her list of successes.
“I truly think she is an amazing asset to this district. She is truly here putting students first and foremost,” she said. “With an extremely successful superintendent, everything else will fall into place if she is doing her job.”
French described herself as a strong advocate for extra arts and extra-curricular programs in the school.
“There are a lot of school districts that are completely closing their sports programs. I think that is detrimental,” she said. “We have fought hard as a group to keep those items here in the district which I think is very important for the kids.”
Having spent more than 35 years in public education as a teacher and administrator, Shenkman said she decided to run for School Committee after a push from her significant other.
“I’m running for School Committee for many reasons and none of them are against anybody. It’s just for the kids in Belchertown, for the school district,” she said. “I’m running because I feel that my knowledge and experiences can be put to good use at this job and I like being helpful.”
Since her retirement, Shenkman, 65, has opened her own photography business. She has been a Belchertown resident for more than 30 years but came to the area a decade earlier as a teacher in Belchertown.
She has worked as an assistant principal and principal in addition to years as a classroom teacher.
Shenkman said some of the issues the School Committee is currently facing have been around since she started in the district, if not before.
“The first one being tight budgets and that is always an issue. It’s an issue here again in Belchertown. As a matter of fact, it happened a couple times of the 36 years I was working — certain districts didn’t have that issue but most of the districts had that issue every year,” she said.
Recalling experience from early in her teaching career, Shenkman said there was a time when there was “literally no paper in the school.”
“It’s a small thing but it’s a huge thing — especially before things were electronic,” she said. “There was zero money for supplies, but I think it’s better that we have no supplies than we don’t have enough teachers.”
Working as a principal in Athol, Shenkman said the budget was a yearly struggle — deciding whether there was enough money to make it through or if she would have to lay people off.
“I never had to lay people off for budget reasons,” she said.
She added that she never had to get rid of art, music, physical education or any of the support subjects, which she said she sees as part of the core curriculum.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.