7 Questions For Kathi Roy, Worcester School Committee Candidate

WORCESTER, MA — Voters in southwestern Worcester will go to the polls Sept. 5 to vote for one of three candidates running for the Worcester School Committee District E seat — one of the five new school committee districts created after a 2021 lawsuit that challenged the city's at-large school committee election system.

The Sept. 5 preliminary will decide which two District E candidates move on to the November general election. The three candidates vying for a chance include Nelly Medina, John Reed and Kathi Roy.

Worcester Patch sent all three candidates a set of six questions probing various school issues, from police in schools to traffic safety. Here's how candidate Kathi Roy answered our questionnaire.

Why are you running in 2023?

As a proud parent of three daughters who graduated from the Worcester Public Schools, I have been actively involved in many activities affecting students and families. I had been a member of the Citywide Parent Advisory Council as well as President of the PTO at Heard Street School. Throughout my life I have also been privileged to volunteer in the Worcester schools and Worcester Little League, among other volunteer activities. Children are, to quote a cliché, our future. I desire to ensure that the education of our children is positive and to help our children be as successful as possible.

As an advocate for our teachers, I understand how they are faced with an incredible responsibility, and I believe teachers need all the monetary and resource support our City can effectively provide.

What's one district policy you would change or update?

If a vote ever comes back on the school committee meeting floor, then I would vote to reinstate the School Resource Officers in the High Schools.

Former School Superintendent Melinda Boone, the City Manager, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police mutually agreed to put Police Officers in our high schools as a result of violence increasing in 2015.

Worcester has changed its use of police in schools recently, effectively eliminating resource officers. Has that benefited students?

No. In this past school year (22-23) the Worcester Police were called to the Worcester Public Schools at least 63 times. Many SROs had established very positive relationships with students. I am in support of safety, and this means that our teachers, administrators and children need to be protected at all costs.

Is it safe for kids in District E to walk/bike/roll to school? Is there anything the school committee can do to make it safer?

I believe many areas are safe for the students to walk/bike/roll to school. For example, Massasoit Road has bike lanes and new sidewalks. After the promised revamping of Mill Street, sidewalks and bike lanes will make this street safe also for students. However, if economically feasible within the District budget then I would consider voting on more students being transported to and from school that live within the 2 mile radius of their school.

Would you be in favor of school bus cameras if it was an option in Worcester?

Yes. Many of the buses already have cameras. Anyone who has driven with children in a car knows how difficult it is to keep our eyes on the road and watch the children behind us. I think cameras would ensure a measure of safety and accountability for the bus driver, aids and students.

There's been a lot of news about book banning in other states, especially books that deal with race and LGBTQ issues. How do you feel about that happening?

While I am not in favor of banning books, be it classic literature or books dealing with race and LGBTQ, I do believe that all books should be age appropriate

Where would you suggest young people in Worcester go as a "third place" — not school, not home — that doesn't cost money?

The Youth Center and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club as well as the Y’s offer great after school programs for a minimal or free charge. It would be wonderful if we could invest monetarily into these programs to ensure a safe, structured environment for children to thrive after school and if there is a fee to be able to offset the cost for parents/guardians to take advantage of these opportunities for their children.