Four Candidates Compete for Three Seats on School Committee

By Ellen Putnam

In the upcoming election on November 4th, Melrose voters will choose among four candidates for three seats on the School Committee: one sitting member who is running for reelection and three newcomers.

Whatever happens next month, at least two-thirds of the new School Committee will have served for two years or less: two of the three Committee members who were elected in 2023 were new to the position. (Half of the School Committee turns over every two years, with each member serving a four-year term.)

Longtime members Jen McAndrew and Dorie Withey each chose not to seek reelection this year, leaving current member Jennifer Razi-Thomas and newcomers Camarie Clark, Melissa Holleran, and Sheri Leo running for the three available seats.

The School Committee has several responsibilities that will be especially important in the coming months:

• If voters approve an override, the School Committee will need to vote on how to allocate the additional funding.
• If voters do not approve an override, the School Committee will need to vote on another round of significant budget cuts for next school year, and may need to look at closing one of the district's five elementary schools.
• Contracts for school employees represented by the Melrose Educators Union are expiring in 2026, and School Committee members will be responsible for negotiating new contracts. (Residents may remember that during negotiations for the most recent contract in 2023, educators almost went on strike before a deal was reached at the last minute.)
• The Melrose Public Schools currently have an interim superintendent, and the School Committee will need to decide how to approach hiring a permanent superintendent for next year.

All four candidates for School Committee are parents of children who currently attend the Melrose Public Schools. Their backgrounds and professional experience span teaching, social work, educational leadership, operations management, data analysis, and consulting.

We spoke with each candidate about their thoughts on some of the major issues facing the Melrose Public Schools and how they would approach work on the School Committee. You can read our interviews with each candidate below.