Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 strong AA+ Bond rating with Standard and Poor’s, due to our strong economy and budget performance, has allowed us to continuously make investments in our community at lower interest costs, saving taxpayers millions. • Regarding improvements, we do have some infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. I’d like to see investments in our DPW & Inspectional Services. Board of Selectmen Vice-Chair Corinne Riley A: Good; strengths include a conservative fiscal policy, completion of ACO, and progress of school building projects. Opportunities for improvement include planning, customer service, and communication. To improve planning, finalize our Master Plan, prioritizing Cliftondale and the new Fire Station. To improve customer service, use SeeClickFix to inform residents when their tree, road, and drainage issues will be addressed. If we need more help at the DPW to keep up, then we should make it a priority. To improve communication, keep the town website updated, create a social media presence, and develop a smartphone app like dozens of other Massachusetts towns. Selectman Michael J. Serino A: I believe the Town of Saugus is being managed very good. With approximately 9.5 million dollars in our stabilization fund and 4 million dollars in our free cash account, Saugus has a bond rating of AA+, the highest in its history. Investments have been made in our youth with a new Middle/ High school, renovation of our elementary schools, new playgrounds and basketball courts and our new sports complex at the Middle/High school. I believe the administration and its employees have done a good job in providing a quality level of service to the residents of our community. As always you have to balance the level of funds available to the problems at hand. The challengers Leo M. Fonseca, Jr. A: I believe the Town is being managed very well at this point. My goal if elected to the Board of Selectmen is to continue to build upon the momentum that has been generated over the past few years, and to work to improve the quality of life for our residents in all areas and aspects. Continuing to improve our schools, revitalizing the downtown area of Cliftondale Square, improving our public spaces including parks and playgrounds, and protecting our environmental resources are just a few of the things that I care deeply about. If elected, I will do my part in working towards these goals. In order to improve the level of service to town residents, I will engage in conversation with anyone and everyone and listen to their comments and concerns. I will work closely with my fellow Selectmen and members of other Boards and branches of Town leadership to address any issues that are impacting the community, and am committed to seeing these issues through. Elizabeth Marchese, a former School Committee member A: Though there have been many physical improvements to Saugus touted over the past few years, I would grade town management over the past few years as fair. There needs to be a stricter form of checks and balances on those in position. More specifically, we as a town need a specific and comprehensive 5 year capital improvement plan setting forth attainable and feasible goals for our town with the input of our stakeholders/residents. A capital improvement plan not only holds our leadership accountable but also gives us concrete goals within which to evaluate performance on a year to year basis. The yearly review by the Board of Selectmen and Town Manager of this plan is authorized by Article 2, Section 51A of our town charter and should be fully taken advantage of and utilized with the input of the school committee which is also stated within said Article. Government does not work when there is no accountability and transparency. How do we hold one accountable or applaud their efforts if there is nothing by which to gage performance by? Animal Control Officer Darren R. McCullough I honestly would rate the current management, good. There is always room for improvement with any administration. I think first and foremost, the residents would want every elected official to stop the Methadone Mile from becoming part of our neighborhoods. Every official should be putting pressure on our State Representatives to stop this complete and utter disregard for our community. How can we give the residents the level of service they need if we continue to build these enormous apartment buildings? They are already putting a strain on our schools, and Police and Fire Departments. How can the residents get the level of service they need when all of our resources are being depleted? I personally feel that our community should always come first. Saugus Police Officer Domenic Montano A: Editor’s Note: This candidate did respond to this week’s question despite repeated efforts to reach him through his election email account. Retired Animal Control Officer Harry Young A: Fair. As an elected official I would like to see the Collins report utilized by the town. Taxpayers paid for this report and we should try to implement some of the many suggestions given. This would help us better service residents. The town could keep more work under the town’s control and this would make us less reliant on outside vendors. I would like to see the capital improvement plan updated yearly with citizens input like surrounding communities making it resident friendly. I would also like the open positions in town hall filled, you can not properly service residents without employees to do it. For the School Committee Q: In 100 words or less, how would you grade the way Saugus Public Schools is being administered? Please pick one of the following: Excellent. Good. Fair. Poor. As an elected official, what would you do to help improve the level of service to the community as far as the town’s education system is concerned? The incumbents: Ryan P. Fisher A: Despite some unexpected hurdles, the majority of our committee spent a lot of time making sure we had the right leadership team in place for exactly this moment. Covid’s impact on education was like a hurricane. We’re still feeling it, and it’s going to require extraordinary leadership to surpass where we were and put us at the top of the state within five years. We have exactly the right principals, countless outstanding teachers and I’m grateful we have Erin McMahon leading us. Her moonshot promise is so ambitious that I wouldn’t trust many could pull it off. I trust Erin. We have to reject toxic committee members that harmfully sidetrack our progress with embarrassment and incompetence. We need to keep supporting our families, listening, adapting and communicating clearly. We’re three weeks in. All the pieces are in place. I rate our administration’s potential as excellent. School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould A: Excellent!!!! Under the new Superintendent, our excellent business office, really great group of Principals and Assistant Principals, I have witnessed first hand in the classrooms how they all have taken the SC short term and long term goals, and already Teachers and ParaProfessionals have developed SPS goals which will address SC district goals. Communications throughout the district have been very effective. The collaboration from all really puts an excitement team challenge into offering all of our students excellent educational opportunities to excel. Our job on SC is to assure they have our support for funding, policies and contracts, so they can concentrate on execution. School Committee Member Arthur Grabowski A: At this point in time I would have to grade the administration of our schools a good start. For the last several years our schools were stagnant. There was no emphasis on improving student achievement. Our new Superintendent has implemented a stringent program of evaluation and benchmarking to bring all staff on board as to what is to be accomplished and how to accomplish it. That being said we need to review what staffing we need … do we have enough clerical staff at each school to meet the needs of the students and staff, do we have enough paraprofessionals to help teachers with students that need extra help and are all our core teaching positions being filled with highly qualified teachers. School Committee Member John S. Hatch A: First, I want to thank The Advocate for giving the candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves to the town as well as share their views on so many important town issues. To answer the question as to how I believe the Saugus Public Schools is being administered would be “excellent”. As an elected school official School Committee Chair Thomas R. Whittredge A: It’s premature to put a grade on how the schools are being administered. We have a new Superintendent who comes in with her own style of leadership and academic knowledge as well as new leadership at the MSHS Complex. We have proven leaders at the Belmonte and Veterans Schools. Over the next few years we are really going to see their educational vision come to fruition and when it does I have no doubt we will be a top performing district. The challengers Leigh Gerow A: It is difficult to give one grade for the entire system because there are some amazing standouts. The teachers and faculty should be applauded. In contrast, I have been disappointed to see people in positions of power behaving in ways that make some children feel less than part of our community. Currently, I would rate the system as good. I look forward to working with the other board members to support the superintendent in the 5 year plan she has laid out for our students. Together, we can work to ensure our schools rise to the level of excellence. Former School Committee Member Vincent Serino A: I would give Saugus a fair to a good grade. We need to focus on the student’s and teacher’s needs. We need to make sure they have the tools to help both succeed in and out of the classroom. A lot more is being asked of both the students and teachers. We need to support those needs. Communication is the centerpiece of effective school committee-superintendent relationships and is the foundation that will nurture a climate conducive to growth. When roles are clear and relationships are sound, communities feel a sense of confidence in their school leadership which in turn enhances the education of all students in the community. I would continue to promote a district wide culture change, one that accentuates the positive, advocates for high standards, and equality of education at all levels. We must continue to think outside the box and move the district forward as our committee did by implementing free all-day Kindergarten. Self-evaluate, and prioritize the district’s educational need to achieve our district’s goal of being in the top ten percent.
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