SOUTH HADLEY — Replacing or repairing Mosier Elementary School, open communication and a desire for public service has drawn a crowd for the opening election for School Committee.

Incumbents Eric Sarrazin and Barry Waite will face challengers Carly Kite Lapinski and Kyle Belanger for two spots on the committee at next Tuesday’s election.

Kyle Belanger

As a parent and educator, Belanger, 39, said one of his goals as a school committee member would be to make sure people feel seen and heard.

“I think it is really important that somebody on the School Committee can blend the diversity that South Hadley has,” Belanger said. “We’re all fundamentally hardworking families but have this diversity of socioeconomic status, gender, racial diversity and ... I’m able to hit those demographics representationally.”

On the question of what to do with Mosier school, Belanger said his opinion doesn’t hold any more water than the people who vote for him.

“My job over the next three years isn’t going to be to convince people that I’m correct,” he said. “My job is to gather as many groups of voters and citizens, hear what the town wants and advocate as strongly that I can that that is the will of the town.”

In the near future, Belanger said there will likely need to be a time to ask serious questions about the budget.

“A school budget is a contract with the community that is absolutely a reflection of the values we have of our town’s future,” he said. “We have to be ready as school committee members to not sit in our school committee meetings and feel like it is some ivory tower.”

Open lines of communication between School Committee members and the wider community is also a focus for Belanger.

“We need to be community members with a lower case c,” he said. “The only way the school committee works is if everyone feels heard. We could talk budgets, we could talked numbers, we could talk hard issues in elections but at the end of the day, a school committee only works if everyone feels heard and seen.”

Among his qualifications, Belanger includes his dedication to service as well as his experience as a full-time educator.

Belanger is a faculty member at Springfield College in the communication and sports journalism department.

Carly Kite Lapinski

Given the current political climate, Lapinski, 40, said it was important that women step up.

“I wanted to get more involved,” she said of her desire to run.

“I was interested in stepping up and understanding more about budget decisions — how they get made and how a school program is affected. On a local level, we love raising a family here and wanted to help make the schools the best they could be,” Lapinski said. “I felt sort of called to be a bigger part of our American democracy and just to help see more women at the table in these kinds of roles.”

The mother of two serves as director of strategic marketing and communications for Mount Holyoke College.

As a strategic thinker and a communicator by trade, Lapinski believes those skills would be valuable as a school committee member.

“I think a lot of this job is about asking good questions and communicating information with others and listening, doing research, looking at data,” she said. “I think a lot of the skills are transferable but I think mostly it’s about a fresh perspective — asking new and different question and having an open mind about what the answer might be.”

On the topic of Mosier, Lapinski said the town and the taxpayers have had enough with the recent construction of the South Hadley Public Library and Plains Elementary School. 

“It’s really about, again, doing a good study about what are the options and really figuring out what would it look like to renovate,” she said. “How can we look at the town holistically — really figure out what the options are — make sure we understand the town knows what the options are, make sure we have a voice,” she said.

Eric Sarrazin

Serving on the School Committee for the past five years, Sarrazin, 44, said he knows there is still more that can be done to improve the district.

“I think we’ve done a ton of great things in the past few years that I’ve been on but there is still much more to do,” Sarrazin said. “I think we have a lot more improvement opportunities.”

The lifelong South Hadley resident and father of two has worked for MassMutual for more than two decades.

During his tenure on the committee, Sarrazin credits the introduction of a “spiral curriculum” — a curriculum of consistency and cohesion from grade to grade, as an accomplishment.

“You’ve got to balance the needs of the schools and the what you feel is best for the kids and the staff and whatnot with the needs of the taxpayers,” Sarrazin said. “I’m a taxpayer and I think you need to balance the needs with fiscal responsibility. From that standpoint, I’m highly qualified.”

For Sarrazin, one of the biggest issues facing the committee in the next few years is the question of what to do with Mosier.

“From a structural standpoint, I think that is one of the biggest things we have to tackle,” he said.

The school building, Sarrazin said, was not necessarily a new item but has moved to the front burner. He said he would like to see what can be done to enhance the building’s structure and its interior, including plumbing and electrical systems.

“I’m an extremely passionate individual and when I do commit to something, I commit 110 percent,” Sarrazin said. “I’ve definitely given my all in the past five years and I’m ready and willing and extremely energetic to dive into the issues.”

Barry Waite

When Waite, 50, joined the School Committee six years ago, he said the town reputation was in “pretty rough shape.”

“I wanted to be a part of changing that and bringing them back and making them better, stronger, safer schools for my own kids and I’m still dedicated to doing that,” Waite said.

In the six years since Waite has been on the committee, he said the district has seen a number of accomplishments including an above 99 percent graduation rate, an increase in the student population as well as the addition of more accelerated and advanced classes and new vocational programs.

Waite works in human resources in the health care industry. He is the father of three school-aged children — a daughter who attends the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion School and twin teenaged boys attend South Hadley High School.

Among his qualifications, Waite said being a professional in the area he sees the challenges some students face coming out of the schools being prepared for the workforce or higher education.

“I want to build an infrastructure that helps to make them successful,” he said. “Being a graduate of the high school I have a pretty good sense of not only the academic culture but the community culture who supports it.”

Another challenge facing the schools, according to Waite, is how to keep them competitive and relevant in the face of charter schools. That and remaining fiscally responsible, Waite said.

“I am first and foremost dedicated to the students in providing a safe and strong academic and social experience,” Waite said. “I am dedicated to supporting the teachers in being able to provide that safe and strong academic environment and I am fully aware of my responsibility to the community to represent their overarching interests.”

]]>