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By Mark E. Vogler
Saugus voters elected three new members to their next School Committee, which was scheduled to be sworn in during a brief organizational session last night. But it still should be a committee that holds familiar views on the way Saugus Public Schools should run, as the two incumbent members – Thomas Whittredge and Stephanie Mastrocola – finished as the top two vote-getters, respectively, while former committee member Joseph “Dennis” Gould claimed the fifth and final position on the ballot. Serving on the committee for the first time will be Brian Doherty, a member of the town Finance Committee, and Shannon McCarthy, a parent and active PTO member. Doherty and McCarthy finished third (1,799) and fourth (1,655), respectively.
Mastrocola was pleased with her second-place finish, an unofficial count of 2,056 votes – 163 behind Whittredge, who has been the most popular School Committee candidate in three of the last four elections. Whittredge won five (2, 3, 5, 6 and 10) of the town’s 10 precincts while Mastrocola finished on top in four (4, 7, 8 and 9) of the precincts. By virtue of their claiming the top two spots, Whittredge and Mastrocola were expected to be elected chair and vice chair of the committee for the next two years, following the town tradition of top vote getters.
“I’m ready to get to work with this panel,” Mastrocola said in a brief statement to The Saugus Advocate.
“I am very thankful for the faith of the people of Saugus who believe in me. Thank you,” she said.
Doherty said during the campaign that he believes his expertise in municipal finance and experience in reviewing several School Department budgets as a Finance Committee member should make him an asset to the School Committee
“I’d like to thank all my supporters and the other candidates,” Doherty told The Saugus Advocate late Tuesday after unofficial election results were released by the Town Clerk’s Office.
“I know I’m new to the School Committee, now it’s time to show the value I can bring to the table and get things done,” he said. Doherty drew the most votes (261) of the candidates in Precinct 1.
Finishing a distant sixth in the School Committee race was former Saugus School Committee member Arthur Grabowski with 957 votes. Roberto Bruzzese, a career educator and former Saugus teacher, received 950 votes. Andrew Finn, a parent of a child in the Saugus Public Schools, finished last with 760 votes.
The biggest challenges facing the next School Committee
As part of its pre-election coverage, The Saugus Advocate asked each of the School Committee candidates what they consider to be the biggest challenge facing the next School Committee. Here’s how each of the newly elected School Committee members responded to that question.
Whittredge: The biggest challenge I foresee the next School Committee will face will be navigating running a school department within the means of the approved budget. Layoffs in any district are devastating to student achievement and my fear is that any potential layoffs in the coming years will have a catastrophic impact on our district. The only viable solution is to start living within our means, not over spending, and be financially responsible. We need to be able to support our students in and outside of the classroom, have a more diverse selection of electives at the MSHS complex, and continue to deliver high quality instruction, while providing support for faculty and staff as well as adding more transportation. For any of these scenarios to be possible it will require collaboration between the Superintendent, faculty and the School Committee. I often say that we need to change the way we do business as a district. My hope is that I am re-elected to the School Committee and whoever I have the privilege of serving with will share the same vision, to consistently make decisions with the best interest of the children of the district in mind.
Whittredge was jubilant the morning after the election – expressing gratitude for a chance to serve one more time on the School Committee. “Well, once again I’m humbled by the outpouring of support! It’s truly an honor to be reelected to the School Committee – thank you,” he said in a message he directed at Saugus voters.
“Congratulations to my fellow Committee members! I look forward to working together as we continue to serve our students, families and community. We have a lot of important work ahead of us,” Whittredge said.
Mastrocola: The biggest challenge facing the next School Committee will certainly be the budget. That being said the budget goes hand in hand with staffing. How are we going to balance out the increased classroom sizes? Teachers and staff are saying they need more support in the classroom. We need to collaborate together and come up with a plan that will help ease the stress of a day in the classroom. We will have to look at the budget closely and make sure it matches what we are trying to accomplish. If we don’t then what’s the point of asking for more money or support if we can’t prove it’s doing the trick? Test scores are a way to measure, but do we truly believe that’s what reflects a school in its true value? They are an important measuring tool for our staff but with all the incoming students and students who choose to come to school when they want, it doesn’t bring us the most accurate reflection of the teacher’s job. We are at times refusing to realize that Saugus has changed in many ways. With that being said, that’s not a bad thing, but until we realize as a community and School Committee the capacity of what you’re dealing with, you will not be able to solve the problems now or in the future. I meet with the principals, I walk through the schools, I talk with parents. Oftentimes we forget to consult the most important reason why we do this. THE KIDS. Talk with them on the soccer field, pull them aside at a school event. Ask them what’s working for you and what would you like to see change. I can promise you; I will do that and will continue to if elected in this next term. Thank You
Doherty: The new school committee’s main challenge is ensuring continuity. My primary focus will be on ensuring continuity in our district’s leadership. With Saugus experiencing six superintendent changes in twelve years, I recognize the urgent need for effective succession planning to prevent leadership gaps.
I intend to work closely with the superintendent and fellow committee members to establish a clear vision, set strategic priorities, and identify future leaders for key positions. This approach will provide reassurance for our community teachers and administration and guarantee smooth transitions when changes occur.
I am committed to upholding accountability by regularly providing progress reports to the town, educators, and administration. Through transparent communication, I strive to promote constructive improvements within our schools. Our staff are our greatest strength, so by remaining proactive rather than reactive, we can minimize disruptions and keep making steady improvements.
McCarthy: It’s hard to pick just one challenge facing the next Saugus School Committee because our district is confronting several that are deeply connected. One of the most pressing is the need for strong oversight and modernization to ensure our policies, records, and planning reflect the realities of today’s Saugus.
For example, the district’s emergency plan has not been reviewed since 2012, more than a decade ago. During that time, our student population has grown from roughly 2,700 students in 2012 to about 2,900 today, while the number of schools has been reduced to just three. This consolidation, combined with no new funding, has created added strain on class sizes, transportation, and overall student support. Looking ahead, new 40B housing projects underway in town will likely increase enrollment even further, adding pressure to already stretched resources and facilities. Without proactive planning, our schools could face serious overcrowding and staffing challenges in the coming years.
Compounding these issues, some district files and records have not been updated since 2010, limiting transparency and the committee’s ability to make fully informed decisions. If elected, I would work with my colleagues to take a responsible, data-driven approach by conducting a meticulous review of all funding to ensure every dollar directly benefits students. I would also lead a comprehensive review of district policies, procedures, records, and emergency plans to bring them up to date and ensure they are followed as set forth by current recommendations. Finally, I believe in strengthening communication with families, educators, and the community to maintain transparency and accountability.
By modernizing our systems, planning responsibly for future growth, and keeping students at the center of every decision, we can ensure that Saugus schools remain strong, safe, and well-prepared to meet the needs of every student.
Gould: I believe the biggest challenge for Saugus School District is adequate funding in line to support the District vision, curriculum, student transportation and Teacher Staffing.
The past budget cycle, School District received over one Million $ less than the detailed bottoms up that Teachers, Administrators, Principals, Directors and Superintendent recommended, approved by School Committee and presented to the Town Manager.
This resulted in the loss of five grade 2-5 Teachers, causing one less class per grade increasing our class sizes, and a Librarian, causing MSHS Library to be closed, the lack of funding for stand by lists for potential added bus, other reductions and shifting of School resources.
In my opinion, grades 2-5 are the most important grades for building students the base they need for success in Junior and High School. With the added costs for new Vocational School,
potential third fire station, added fire staffing and continued cost of inflation for the normal operational costs and facilities, the Town has a lot on its plate to match any increase of revenue with Town and School needs.
It is important to work early on in budget process with Town Manager as well, because even though the School District may complete due diligence to come up with detailed budget, it is the Town Manager who then reviews Town and School budgets and comes up with what he recommends for the School Budget. In recent history, Town Manager has recommended a million $ or more less than School Committee approved budget, and that is what is presented to Selectmen, Finance Committee and Town Meeting.
Once it goes to Town Meeting, it is almost impossible to increase School Budget because you must show and have Town Meeting vote on what would be lowered from the Town Budget side to offset School increase or identify other revenues to cover the increase.
