CT Patch Candidate Profile: Meghan Doyle For Milford Board Of Education

MILFORD, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Meghan Doyle, a Democrat, is a Milford resident running for Board of Education in the 2nd District.

Occupation:

Attorney for the State of Connecticut

Family:
My parents and my siblings and their children live in Milford.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Yes, as a Board of Education member, since being appointed in July 2021.

Why are you seeking this office?
I believe in public service and using my life experience to invest in my community. I believe in democracy, which is a government where the political power is vested in the people, and using that political power to make the lives of everyone better.

I attended Milford Public Schools and graduated from Jonathan Law and the skills I graduated with prepared me to be successful in life. I want to do that and more for all the generations that come after me. I want my nieces and nephews, my friends’ children as well as every child that attends Milford Public Schools to leave with the skills necessary to survive in an ever-changing world. Regardless of how much the world is changing, it is our responsibility to teach children the basics: how to read, how to write, how to do math, how to analyze sources, develop an argument, recognize facts on how to support an argument. These skills make students adaptable for whatever they may face. Milford Public Schools taught me those skills and I want to make sure that we continue to excel at those responsibilities.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is economic insecurity.

The budget supporting Milford Public Schools compromises approximately 40% of the City of Milford’s budget. Accordingly, it is responsibility of the Board of Education to review and approve a fiscally prudent budget that supports our students, faculty, and staff. As a Board member, I will continue to require the administration to demonstrate the purpose of each line item and their associated budget for that line item.

Milford residents are and will continue to face economic insecurity because of, among others, uncertain tariffs, increasing costs of groceries, unmitigated increases in healthcare premiums, and rising energy prices. Milford Public Schools are not immune from those same pressures. Thus, I believe it is the responsibility of Board members to pay attention to the budget throughout the year, not just during budget season. Each month, the Board reviews all expenditures over $1500 as well as quarterly and Board members should be asking questions about those expenditures. By doing so, it is possible to anticipate where increases in the budget will be necessary in the future.

When the budget is presented to the Board in January, there should be no surprises or unexpected costs. It is the responsibility of a Board member to understand the budget. If I am elected to another term, I will continue to review the budget documents provided to Board every month and ask questions when I do not understand. I also promise to vote for budgets that include what is necessary to best educate children and provide for the success of Milford Public School and not for budgets that are wish lists.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I will say the primary difference between myself and the two candidates from the other party is experience. One of the most important aspects of being a Board member is to understand what the role of the Board is. The Board, is like any other executive board, sets the policies and the goals of Milford Public Schools and instructs the superintendent to implement. It is not the role of the Board to be involved in the day-to-day operations of school operation. My job as a Board member is to work with the administration to develop the priorities and goals of the Milford Pubic Schools and systematically work to achieve those goals.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
How amazing Milford Public Schools are doing! According to the most recent Niche.com rankings, Milford Public Schools is the 29th (out of 120) best school district in Connecticut. We are also ranked the 9th (out of 133) best place to teach in Connecticut.

These accomplishments are reflected in the most recent test scores on the Smarter Balance Assessment at the elementary level as wells as the gains in scores seen across all levels. For example, in the Spring of 2023, 46 percent of 3rd graders were meeting or exceeding goal in English Language Arts and in Spring of 2025, those same students as 5th graders, 65.6 percent were meeting or exceeding goal in English Language Arts.

Test scores are just one part of a successful school system but the increased number of students at or exceeding grade level is indicative of the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff. Improvements, like above, do not happen by accident. It takes consistent and coordinated investment into our children from the Board and everyone that supports Milford Public Schools.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
In 2020, I returned to school and in 2023, I simultaneously earned my law degree and my graduate degree. I served on the Board during from the end of my first year of law school to now. Following law school, I started a new career as an attorney. During this last term, I attended all meetings, including all special meetings for Long Range Facilities Planning, as well as many Permanent Schools Facilities Committee meetings. I came prepared and ready to participate in each meeting.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
I am going to provide the same answer I provided in my 2023 Patch Candidate questionnaire.

That half of life is just showing up. And showing up can be to an event, for a friend/family member, or a text message. There are many instances in life that it would be easier to skip, to make an excuse, or conveniently forget about an obligation. People remember those that show up, take the call, and generally try. Be remembered for showing up for people rather for the opposite.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I believe that a public school system is the heart of any community. People want to live in a community with a vibrant and thriving public school system. The Long Range Facilities Planning is the next step in ensuring that for Milford. As a City, we will need to invest over half a billion dollars in our 14 aging schools over the course of the next several decades to bring to those schools to “decent”.

Part of my responsibilities as a Board member is to be one of two liaisons to the Permanent Schools Facilities Committee. This committee oversees all construction projects occurring on our facilities that are funded through bonded money. I have seen firsthand how spending tens of millions of dollars on a renovation may add a beautiful new gym, cafeteria and a few classrooms, but ultimately leaves a 75-year-old building. Once that renovation is complete that building generally doesn’t have air conditioning, enough electrical plugs to support student use of chrome books and new technology, or consistent, stable wireless internet. The building still does not meet need the needs of our students, teachers and staff.

While Milford Public Schools is incredibly lucky to have an excellent staff maintaining our facilities, the list is ever growing of what needs to be replace, rebuilt, or refurbished. Unfortunately, combined with several years of budget cuts and increased costs, we soon will be unable to keep using a patchwork style of investment in our facilities.

Milford will need to make large investments in our facilities but that is not a bad thing for Milford. It shows that Milford is invested in attracting new families with children and with them their grandparents (see Milford ranking as the 3rd best place in the country to retire) as well as the best educators. It shows that Milford wants to continue to be a lively and dynamic community that prepares students success and attracts the best talent.