Former Selectman Senibaldi to Run for School Board

There is officially a race for the open Windham School Board seat, and it's a former selectman who has decided to toss his hat into the ring.

Dennis Senibaldi, 45, a 13-year Windham resident and father of three, will take a shot at the board vacancy caused by the expiring term of Dr. Bruce Anderson.

Anderson decided to run for re-election shortly after the filing period opened last week.

"I would like to help focus on solving crowding issues at the middle school, Golden Brook School and (Windham) Center School and I feel that my construction and expertise, 25 years in the business, can be very useful on the board," Senibaldi said.

After a brief stint with AT&T after he left the military, Senibaldi started his own construction company called Senibaldi Contracting Corporation.

His experience in construction includes a big project accomplished at Nabnasset School in Westford, Mass.

The phased project was an overhaul renovation of the elementary school, and he said that students were in session during the construction and it was "more than just doable."

Senibaldi said that he does not support a new school facility on London Bridge Road, a cost item that will go before voters in March in the form of a $31 million warrant article that will include fields. 

"I would like to really get back to the nuts and bolts of what the facilities committee went over and a realistic goal of what is accomplishable at this moment of time with the economy," he said. 

He added that athletic fields should also be presented to voters as a separate item.

Senibaldi served for about a year on the committee, which developed a Facilities Master Plan for the district and the town.

"I served on the facilities committee to make sure they looked at every option," Senibaldi said.

Senibaldi was chairman of the Board of Selectmen between 2008 and 2009. He said that he understands the inner workings of the board, and can try to see if certain items can be accomplished jointly between the town and school district.

He added that the boards are very distinct, but noted that the school district could take a page out of the town's book when it comes to its planning on Capital Improvement items.

Senibaldi expressed disapproval of the $1 million that was requested during CIP season by the School Board, saying that it wasn't clear at that time what they wanted to use the money for. 

He explained that the Board of Selectmen work so that town CIP requests are squared away by May or June.

No other candidates have filed for school office. The deadline to file at the SAU 28 office is Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.