GREENFIELD — Francia Wisnewski, the vice-chairwoman of the Greenfield School Committee, will leave the board at the end of the month when she moves to neighboring Montague.
“My family is moving to Montague, and I will no longer meet the requirements to be in this position,” Wisnewski said Wednesday. “I will miss the endless support and enlightening conversations that I have had during my tenure, with citizens and the school district’s community.”
Wisnewski said Wednesday that her last day on the job will be Aug. 1. She is currently in her second term on the committee, and is the chairwoman of the Health, Safety, Security and Facilities Subcommittee.
Wisnewski said she joined the committee to ensure students felt “safe and ready to learn” when entering school, help increase academic achievement and provide a highly qualified and diverse faculty and staff throughout the system.
She noted that her children have attended Greenfield’s schools for nearly a decade.
School Committee Chairman Timothy Farrell called Wisnewski “a dedicated public servant who will be missed” Wednesday afternoon.
“I worked with her husband Mark on the Council and now Francia on the School Committee,” Farrell said. “(They’re) good people who care about Greenfield. Their passion for good local government and for this community will be missed — Montague’s gain.”
Wisnewski works for Raising a Reader Massachusetts, a Springfield nonprofit. She previously worked for Community Action in Greenfield and has served on the School Committee since 2012. She’s been vice chairwoman since 2014.
When a vacancy on the School Committee occurs for any reason, the remaining members of the committee share the responsibility for filling it, according to school department policy.
A candidate must receive a majority of the votes of the members entitled to vote. Those elected to fill a vacancy by the committee shall serve only until the next regular election in early September 2017, at which time the vacancy will be filled by the voters.
You can reach Tom Relihan at:
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