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Six of the eight candidates running in their wards for seats on Haverhill’s School Committee found more to agree about than disagree during a forum Wednesday night presented by WHAV and Pinnacle Co-Working and Event Space.
The candidates, who are running in the city’s general election Tuesday, Nov. 4, faced off in the second part of the forum which was broadcast live over 97.9WHAV and live-streamed on WHAV.net. HC Media recorded it for later broadcast. The first part featured the five at-large candidates who are running for three seats.
Attending were Robert R. Brown running in Ward 2, David A. Shultz in Ward 3, Amanda J. Basiliere in Ward 4, incumbent Jill T. Story in Ward 5, incumbent Yonnie Collins in Ward 6 and incumbent Thomas W. Grannemann in Ward 7. Only Shultz has competition in incumbent Maura L. Ryan-Ciardello, who did not attend. That means, barring an effective write-in campaign, those without challengers will be seated. Also absent was Mirca Z. Rivera who is running unopposed in Ward 1.
WHAV President and CEO Tim Coco. Who served as moderator, noted most candidates are running unopposed, asked whether going to ward representation was a good idea?
Shultz was the only candidate who said ward representation is unnecessary for the School Committee.
“I have to say I like the change to ward for City Council but I kind of think that maybe School Committee is something they should have left citywide for the seats. Council, it’s nice to have neighborhood representation. I’m not sure, like for example, the ward I am in, Ward 3, there is not even a school in Ward 3 and I wonder how much local representation is necessary for that ward. I think citywide might work just fine,” Shultz said.
Everyone else said ward representation allows for closer relationships to form between citizens and their elected officials.
Coco followed with another related query on whether the candidates think the role of an at-large member is different than for a ward member. They all generally agreed with Grannemann’s answer.
“I think the role of the ward representative and the at-large representative is exactly the same once they’re here. I think the big difference is that in the wards you are able to connect more with your own neighborhood. When I did campaigning door-to-door, I got a lot of insight into how people in my ward felt about things,” Grannemann explained.
Coco asked whether Haverhill schools should impose a so-called “bell-to-bell” student cellphone ban. All the candidates agreed cellphones should not be allowed in the classroom, as is the school system’s current policy, but they all expressed concerns over the loss of a connection between parents and their children in an emergency and with how cellphones would be managed if students have to give them up at the beginning of the school day.
Ward 4 candidate Basiliere admitted she is conflicted.
“I hear the pushback that some students don’t feel safe or some families don’t feel safe without having a direct connection to their children for whatever reason that is. So, I think we need to listen to that. We need to make sure if there is a valid reason to have those cellphones to be accessible in the classroom during an emergency than those students have the ability to do that so they can feel safe,” Basiliere said.
Ward 2 candidate Robert R. Brown called for more study.
“I essentially feel that a lot more research is needed. There is absolutely no justifiable reason to have a cellphone in the classroom. But we have to find a good intermediary that allows us as parents to contact our children at a moment’s notice as well as they can contact us at a moment’s notice,” Brown said.
On a question about improving attendance, particularly at Haverhill High School, all candidates agreed the district must find more ways to keep students engaged and excited about school. Ward 6 candidate Collins said the district should do more to address student mental health issues.
“A lot of our students don’t feel connected to our schools. A lot of our students are struggling with their own health issues. And so if we don’t invest in things that will get them to school such as being healthy, mentally, physically, why would they attend? Collins wondered.
Finally, on a question about school spending, all candidates agreed Haverhill needs to spend more money on its schools in order to meet student needs, retain staff and avoid layoffs. Ward 5 candidate Story pointed out the School Committee doesn’t set the budget and has to live within the money the city allocates it.
“Haverhill has been historically underfunded for many, many, many years. I think people are confused by the fact that the School Committee does not raise the money for the schools or set the budget for the schools. It is the City Council and so we work with the money we are given which means we are constrained in what we have,” Story said.
The final day to register to vote is today, Friday, Oct. 24, by 5 p.m. Register online at the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office or in person at the Haverhill City Clerk’s office in Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St. Voters can request a mail-in ballot through Tuesday, Oct. 28. Early voting gets underway Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at City Hall and continues Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polls will be open on Election Day, Nov. 4, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
| Campaign | |
|---|---|
| Mayor | |
| Barrett, Melinda E. | |
| Burns, Brandon | |
| City Council-At Large | |
| Sullivan, Thomas J. | |
| Morales, Michael | |
| Jordan, Timothy J. | |
| LePage, Colin F. | |
| Michitson, John A. | |
| City Council Ward 1 | |
| Basiliere, Ralph T. | |
| City Council Ward 2 | |
| Diodati, Daniel | |
| Rodriguez, Veronica | |
| City Council Ward 3 | |
| Ferreira, Devan M. | |
| City Council Ward 4 | |
| Lewandowski, Melissa J. | |
| Cooper, Guy | |
| City Council Ward 5 | |
| Toohey, Shaun P. | |
| City Council Ward 6 | |
| McGonagle, Michael S. | |
| Aguilo, Oliver | |
| City Council Ward 7 | |
| Rogers, Catherine P. | |
| School Committee-At Large | |
| Spheekas, Daniel | |
| Morrow, Josiah | |
| Simmons, Fred A. | |
| Nguyen, Davis | |
| Guerrero, Penelope | |
| Sapienza-Donais, Toni | |
| School Committee Ward 1 | |
| Zoraida Rivera, Mirca | |
| School Committee Ward 2 | |
| Brown, Robert Richard | |
| School Committee Ward 3 | |
| Ryan-Ciardiello, Maura L. | |
| Shultz, David | |
| School Committee Ward 4 | |
| Basiliere (Basler), Amanda | |
| School Committee Ward 5 | |
| Story, Jill | |
| School Committee Ward 6 | |
| Collins, Yonnie | |
| School Committee Ward 7 | |
| Grannemann, Thomas W. | |