Ward 7: Paul Beauparlant hopes to be elected to second full Lewiston School Committee term

Paul Beauparlant Submitted photo

LEWISTON — School Committee incumbent Paul Beauparlant, 69, is running for reelection to his Ward 7 seat. The retired teacher has been serving on the school board for more than two years. Beauparlant was appointed to the committee in the fall of 2020 then was elected to his first full term in November 2021.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Current Ward 7 School Committee Representative, softball and basketball official, past-president/member of booster clubs, PTO’s from Farwell School to Lewiston High School

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

I take very seriously my responsibility of being one of nine members of the School Committee to manage a roughly $100,000,000 budget that affects more than 5,500 students in total and more than 800 employees. I walk a fine line between my desire to provide resources that will move our city schools to the best that they can be with the realization that our community is financially stretched with increasing expenses, including local taxes. A responsible budget must be provided to the City Council and the citizens of Lewiston with a clear focus and prioritization on our students.

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

Student safety is one of the highest priorities to me and should be to the other members of the School Committee. Having a police representative in our schools has moved from an expensive luxury to a necessity as reflected by local, state and national concerns of vandalism, violence among students and bomb scares. Preventative measures, such as vaping detectors in secondary school bathrooms, must be considered. Security camera usage must be updated and expanded and social media available to our students must be monitored at school and at home.

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

Yes and no. Social and emotional learning is the allocation of resources by staff and teachers to promote competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making in our students. The Response to Intervention approach that the Lewiston School Department uses, positive behavior intervention and supports, provides services and interventions to students who struggle academically with their own self-image and in relationships with others. This program provides support to our most vulnerable students who are struggling with generational poverty, traumatizing backgrounds or mental health issues. Strategies and tools to counter impediments of learning must be provided.

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

Yes. There are multiple avenues for citizens to voice their opinions and concerns about educational policy. The bi-monthly meetings of the committee allocate time for public commentary, allowing community members to speak about issues they or other Lewiston residents have concerns about. Often these viewpoints will become agenda items for discussion at future public meetings. Each listing on the agenda allows for input from the public. My school email, pbeauparlant@lewistonpublicschools.org, is public and I spend several hours each week responding to those citizens both inside and outside my ward.