Candidate Statement: School Committee Member Krissy Polimeno

It's hard to believe that my three years on the Tewksbury School Committee have gone by so quickly. Because my time on the committee has been both challenging and rewarding, I am seeking re-election on April 6th, 2013. I have a vested interest in advocating for all children in   the Tewksbury Schools, since my husband Phil and I have three school-aged children in the district.  My education degree and teaching experience, coupled with my experience in the private sector in a management capacity, has prepared me well for my role as a School Committee member.

In addition to my current position as Chairperson of the Tewksbury School Committee, I have also participated in numerous committees. These include: Leader for the Tewksbury Education Foundation Auction, Vice-Chair of the School Long Range Facilities Committee, Member of Green Committee, Member of Grant Committee, Member of Policy Committee, Member of the Nursing Program and Member of the Special Education Sub Committee. I am proud to have been a member of the Collective Bargaining Team for the following Groups: Tewksbury Teacher's Association, Non Union Personnel, Tewksbury Administrator's Group, Food Services, Secretaries and the Maintenance/Custodians Group. I believe I have gained sufficient experience and developed meaningful relationships to hit the ground running if I am elected to a second term. I have always prided myself on being actively involved in Tewksbury as I believe it is a wonderful community to raise a family. My time coaching boys and girls youth sports, teaching CCD, volunteering for Tewksbury Hospital Equestrian F.A.R.M,  being a member of the Tewksbury Rotary Club, and a variety of other formal and informal initiatives has been most gratifying.

My core values of “commitment, leadership and collaboration” have been invaluable to me in achieving our priorities as a School Committee. The mission of ensuring that the Tewksbury Memorial High School project would stay within budget and be completed on time has not only been fulfilled, but this project also came in under budget. A big thank you goes to the community for their support to make this dream possible. An additional focus area for myself and the School Committee included the need to reduce class size starting at the elementary level, which has been achieved over the past few years. Student academic progress has made steady gains and appears to be advancing. Unlike in the past, we have collaborated with all parties to ensure that we are meeting the maintenance needs of our school facilities. In these difficult times the budget is a high priority for all residents. I am proud to say we have been able to achieve budget stabilization by working collaboratively with our Town Manager, Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee.

I believe that our children are the future of this community. I pledge to work diligently to ensure that the Tewksbury School System will provide the best possible education to prepare each student for a successful future. Voters can be assured I will continue to promote fiscal responsibility with sound decision making in support of high quality, cost effective educational opportunities. Student achievement and balancing the school budget will continue to be my top priorities. I believe that an excellent school system in Tewksbury will ultimately benefit all residents both in the short and long term.

I welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the children, parents, school staff and Tewksbury community and respectfully ask for your vote on April 6th, 2013.