Higgins: Let's Welcome Mineau — And Bring On Wells And Thompson

School Board service is not easy. I do not believe it is supposed to be. True service in any manner is done in the spirit of others after all, and there are few people who can truly put themselves second.

My first term on the board found me looking in on a tight-knit group of very politically minded socially connected people. Both my running mate Nick Metalious and I “won” a seat on the board because only two people ran for the two seats available.

At the time I wondered about this. I knew that the public was not happy with the board, so why weren’t people running for available seats? I came to learn that, while certain topics generated public input, most people felt like their words did not matter. That all the testimony in the world would not change the mind of those making the decisions.

This is the ugly side of an autonomous school board.

It is no surprise that board autonomy is once again a topic of conversation and conflict. Prior to the 2023 middle school vote a former board member who herself took advantage of that autonomy warned us that ignoring the public would be a mistake.

She was right.

Our current board can exhibit the sense of entitlement and at times arrogance that the 2011-2013 board did. “Yes, we will listen, yes we encourage you to attend the hearings, but we will do what we want and then direct anger toward you for the fallout.”

The more things change the more they stay the same.

It is in this vein that I support Jeff Wells for the Zone B seat. Jeff is a long-time Concord resident who raised his children here. He has a knowledge and perspective about Concord and its citizens that is slowly disappearing on our board. He is retired and has his finger on the pulse of that demographic. He is a flexible thinker who does not approach board issues through a politically motivated eye.

He is people driven, not agenda driven. He will fight for the residents of East Concord in whatever the details of the sale of Eastman School may produce. He will be a solid voice on the financial aspects of the upcoming middle school project. I imagine his thoughts and ideas will give several current members pause, which is a good thing.

Differing views bring about effective conversations and successful solutions.

Cara Meeker has been a good board member. With the replacement of the lone man, long time Concord resident Jim Richards by newcomer Madeline Mineau we stand to lose a bit more of whatever diversity we have on our board, especially if Meeker retains her seat.

Liberal leaning middle to upper middle-class women between the ages of 35-50 currently make up six of the nine seats. That demographic is already well represented. The perspectives of the board members and what they bring to the conversation can be just as important as the individuals themselves.

Zone C will at the very least maintain a male voice on the board. Both candidates bring educational knowledge and a male presence, although neither are Concord natives. Both bring special education knowledge, which is also already well represented on the board. Like Liz Boucher, Jess Campbell and Cara Meeker, Aaron Dubois has only lived in Concord for five years. While not a Concord native, Aaron Thompson has at least worked in the district, which for me gives him the nod.

There is little that is easy, or even at times rewarding in service on a school board. But these boards, made up of regular people, can be the lifeline between the school community and the general population. I am looking forward to a board that better reflects the families it serves.

Therefore, I welcome Ms. Mineau, and advocate for the election of Jeff Wells and Aaron Thompson.