RONALD POTVIN

Occupation: Corrections officer, 22 years, Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.

Education: Police Academy graduate, Massachusetts; Corrections Academy graduate, Maine.

Family: Single.

Political experience: Auburn City Council 2007-09; Auburn School Committee, 2007-09 and 2013-14.

Why are you running for school board? If elected, what will be your priorities? 

I want to get back involved in the community. After moving from Auburn to Lewiston five years ago, I chaired the campaign to stop the merger between Lewiston and Auburn, and I ran for mayor of Lewiston two years ago. I want to use my experience to make an impact here in Lewiston. I think the Lewiston school system is in pretty good shape. But kids’ behavior is personal to me, having worked in corrections as long as I have. I realize that it all starts at school age from years ago. This tells you that the juveniles’ needs were never addressed. In Lewiston, we have decades of poverty and a subculture where we have to reach the kids at the earliest time to get them on the right road.

What do you like and what don’t you like about the school budget that passed in the spring? 

I have an appreciation of the school budget. My goal would be to maintain the budget with minimal impact to the taxpayers.

Lewiston has one of the lowest graduation rates in the state. What can be done to address that problem?

I’ll defer to the new superintendent. I’m excited about the superintendent. I’ve sat and talked to him. He has great ideas and views.

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