THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmbEr 7, 2025 Page 5 Town Election 2025 Despite a turnover of three members, there will still be familiar faces on the Saugus School Committee By Mark E. Vogler S augus voters elected three new members to their next School Committee, which was scheduled to be sworn in during a brief organizational session last night. But it still should be a committee that holds familiar views on the way Saugus Public Schools should run, as the two incumbent members – Thomas Whittredge and Stephanie Mastrocola – finished as the top two vote-getters, respectively, while former committee member Joseph “Dennis” Gould claimed the fi fth and fi nal position on the ballot. Serving on the committee for the first time will be Brian Doherty, a member of the town Finance Committee, and Shannon McCarthy, a parent and active PTO member. Doherty and McCarthy fi nished third (1,799) and fourth (1,655), respectively. Mastrocola was pleased with her second-place fi nish, an unoffi cial count of 2,056 votes – 163 behind Whittredge, who has been the most popular School Committee candidate in three of the last four elections. Whittredge won fi ve (2, 3, 5, 6 and 10) of the town’s 10 precincts while Mastrocola fi nished on top in four (4, 7, 8 and 9) of the precincts. By virtue of their claiming the top two spots, Whittredge and Mastrocola were expected to be elected chair and vice chair of the committee for the next two years, following the town tradition of top vote getters. “I’m ready to get to work with this panel,” Mastrocola said in a brief statement to The Saugus Advocate. “I am very thankful for the faith of the people of Saugus who believe in me. Thank you,” she said. Doherty said during the campaign that he believes his expertise in municipal fi nance and experience in reviewing several School Department budgets as a Finance Committee member should make him an asset to the School Committee “I’d like to thank all my supporters and the other candidates,” Doherty told The Saugus Advocate late Tuesday after unoffi cial election results were released by the Town Clerk’s Offi ce. “I know I’m new to the School Committee, now it’s time to show the value I can bring to the table and get things done,” he said. Doherty drew the most votes (261) of the candiALL DEPOSITS ARE INSURED IN FULL. Celebrate 135 years of strength & commitment to our community with a special 135-day CD offer. LIMITED-TIME OFFER: 4.25% APY* 135-Day CD *New money only. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes the interest remains on deposit until maturity. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. 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Whittredge: The biggest challenge I foresee the next School Committee will face will be navigating running a school department within the means of the approved budget. Layoff s in any district are devastating to student achievement and my fear is that any potential layoff s in the coming years will have a catastrophic impact on our district. The only viable solution is to start living within our means, not over spending, and be fi nancially responsible. We need to be able to support our students in and outside of the classroom, have a more diverse selection of electives at the MSHS complex, and continue to deliver high quality instruction, while providing support for faculty and staff as well as adding more transportation. For any of these scenarios to be possible it will require collaboration between the Superintendent, faculty and the School Committee. I often say that we need to change the way we do business as a Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 district. My hope is that I am re-elected to the School Committee and whoever I have the privilege of serving with will share the same vision, to consistently make decisions with the best interest of the children of the district in mind. Whittredge was jubilant the morning after the election – expressing gratitude for a chance to serve one more time on the School Committee. “Well, once again I’m humSCHOOL COMMITTEE | SEE PAGE 11
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