Westborough 2024 Election Profile: Tim Askew, School Committee

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Westborough voters will go to the polls for the second time this month on Monday for the annual town election, featuring eight races for town and regional school committee seats.

Only three races are competitive in 2024: school committee, library board and the Trustees of the Soldiers' Memorials board. With school committee member Kristen Vincent not running for reelection in 2024, there's an open seat up for grabs, and two candidates have signed up to run: Tim Askew and Boyd Conklin.

This is Askew's first run for office, although he has legislative experience in the state House, where he works as an aide. Here's more from Askew about why he's running in 2024:

Can you tell voters about yourself?

I was born and raised in Westborough and am a proud product of the school system, graduating from Westborough High School in 2016. I became familiar with community service while in school, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2015 and volunteering with the honor society my junior and senior year of high school. I graduated from the UConn School of Business in 2020 with a minor in history, though I’ve been working in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a legislative aide for the past year. I’m 26 years old and excited to bring a recent student’s perspective and energy to the school committee.

Why did you decide to run for school committee?

I decided to run for school committee to serve the school system that gave so much to me with the time I have to give back. I feel so grateful for the education I received, and I can’t think of a better way to show my appreciation than to serve on the committee. We live in a time where talking points from national politics seem to dominate even the local scene, I want to spend my time focused solely on the students and what they need to be successful. I’m excited to begin contributing to the work needed to continue the legacy of our strong school system.

If you could pick anything, what goals would you set for the superintendent in the coming school committee term?

The primary goal I would set for the new superintendent would be to form as many new relationships as possible. A successful school system must constantly adapt to match the needs of the community, so it is crucial that our new superintendent is connected to the people of Westborough. I would like to see the new superintendent seek opportunities to interact with as many teachers as they can, as their work is really what makes our schools great, and open lines of communication between teachers and the administration is necessary for our schools to continue to operate at the high level that they do. I would also like to see the new superintendent continue the implementation of our school's strategic plan.

What’s one thing the school district is doing well and one thing it’s not doing well? How would you fix what’s not being done well?

The Westborough schools have reached a remarkable level of academic excellence. The quality of the education we provide and how well it prepares our students for the next phase of their life cannot be overstated. One thing that I think the school district could improve on is how we address student’s social emotional well-being, though I would like to note this problem is in no way unique to Westborough. The mental health epidemic is very real and affects people of all ages, but especially students. Westborough already does a lot to proactively address this problem, but we can still do more. I believe the best way to combat the challenges to student's emotional well-being is to actively foster connections between them and other students as well as teachers. We need to be creative with how we encourage students to engage with others in the schools to form resilient bonds that will help support them through hard times.

Why should voters pick you to serve on the school committee?

Voters should choose me because I understand the work that needs to be done on the committee and I am anxious to get started. Running a high functioning school system takes a lot of effort and careful consideration, and I’m eager to volunteer the time and energy I have to this system. My financial skills from business school, my knowledge of educational policy from work in state government, and my time going through the Westborough schools have all prepared me to take on this role. I’m dedicated to always fighting for what I believe to be best for our students and schools, and I hope to earn your vote on March 12.