LEWISTON — Ward 1 resident Phoenix McLaughlin is running for the School Committee. The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development policy manager hopes to serve his first term on the committee.

Community engagement:

Lewiston Finance Committee member

How would you manage the school budget? Allocate more funds to schools or pull back spending? Why?

I would manage the school budget with specific goals and needs in mind, and advocate for funding to meet those needs. I would not go in with the mindset of increasing or decreasing school funding being inherently good. Ensuring the schools are fully staffed and reducing turnover are top priorities of mine, which will likely require additional funds. Schools are the most important thing a community can invest in and dollars invested now into providing a quality education for all students can pay off many times over in the future.

Do you believe student safety is a priority and would you support initiatives that address safety issues?

Of course student safety is a priority and I would support credible initiatives that could address those issues. I don’t believe there are any simple solutions to safety issues. Whether it be bullying, fighting or extreme threats like school shootings, it is something the School Committee always needs to be working to improve. Kids cannot learn if they do not feel safe at school.

Do you believe students’ social and emotional needs are being met in schools? What could be done differently?

If students’ social needs were being perfectly met, then the school system would have many fewer problems than it currently does. The move to address students’ social and emotional learning more intentionally is important, although in some ways it is repackaging a common-sense part of educating kids. Everyone needs to learn how to manage their emotions and navigate a social environment. Kids who lack those basic skills are not only going to struggle to learn themselves but are also more likely to disrupt the education of those around them.

Do you believe parents and community members have adequate access to the committee members at meetings or through other methods to express concerns and frustrations?

The public comment process is important and I know for my part I will always be willing to talk to community members. Time and information is the primary barrier to accessing the committee. Most people don’t have the time to attend a long meeting on a weeknight and that is harder for parents with young kids. I imagine many people may not even know they can contact the School Committee or how to do so. The committee and administration need to provide better outreach to share information or collect feedback, when possible, to bridge that gap.

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