Melrose Candidate Profile: Seamus Kelley For School Committee

MELROSE, MA — With the Melrose Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Seamus Kelley, who is running for the Melrose School Committee. Kelley is among four candidates running for three open seats. The field features incumbent Margaret Driscoll and challengers Kelley, Matthew Hartman and David Trzepacz.

Kelley is a manager at the Massachusetts Health Connector and is an appointee to the Melrose Affordable Housing Trust Fund. He previously was a member of the Melrose Housing Production Plan Committee.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Seamus Kelley

How old will you be as of Election Day?

43

Campaign website

https://www.seamuskelley.org/

What city or town do you live in?

Melrose

What office are you seeking?

Melrose School Committee

Please give us your party affiliation

Democratic Party

Education

Master's of Public Administration, Suffolk University; Bachelor's of Arts, Catholic University of America

Occupation

Manager at the Massachusetts Health Connector

Family

Wife — Candace, we met working together for Governor Deval Patrick; daughters — Mary, 6 (Roosevelt first grader) & Claire, 4 (Franklin ECC). My parents and in-laws are all retired educators and my brother is a teacher in the Worcester Public Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Yes, appointee to the Melrose Affordable Housing Trust Fund and a former member of the Melrose Housing Production Plan Committee.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running because I have two daughters in the school system and their future — and the future of all kids in Melrose — is important to me. I greatly value our public schools and our teachers. I believe that the Melrose Public Schools are the most important service the city provides, and I want all kids to get the best possible education.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Managing the school budget while providing excellent education for all students.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

First, let me say that the candidates for Melrose School Committee are all nice and well-meaning people. We are very lucky with the field of candidates. I think the key differences are our backgrounds and perspectives. For example: 1. I would be a new school committee member untethered to past decisions; 2. I have over 20 years of experience working in state government. I understand the public budget cycle from proposals, evaluation, passage, to implementation of the budget; and, 3. I currently manage state programs, people, and policies.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

We have one incumbent running for reelection and three candidates who are new — making it four candidates for three seats. I have nothing negative to say about the incumbent. I wish her well. I simply think that for the open seats, I bring the best experience and vision to the table.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Top three priorities
1. Stabilize the budget and increase funding for the schools.
2. Provide strong fiscal oversight and advocate for long-term planning.
3. Have a high quality curriculum for all students and the tools and support that teachers need to do their jobs.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

For over 20 years I've worked in government dealing with budgets, regulations, policy, and programming. Since moving to Melrose I've been an active volunteer. Specifically, I'm a room parent and library volunteer at the Roosevelt Elementary School and an appointee to the Melrose Affordable Housing Trust Fund. I'm committed to Melrose.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Just be nice to others.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm really excited to be running for the Melrose School Committee and I have really enjoyed the conversations I've had knocking on doors. I propose that we have community conversations in 2024 to help us plan the school budget and prepare for the next teachers' contract, which is only two years away.