ERVING — A contested School Committee race highlights an otherwise uncontested ballot for this year’s annual town election.
Polls will be open on Monday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Town Hall.
Mark Blatchley, who served on the Erving School Committee for about a year after being elected in 2019, seeks one of the two open three-year seats. He is running against incumbents and veteran School Committee members Erik Semb and Katelyn Mailloux-Little.
Blatchley, 77, said his decision to run for the position stems from an observation that “the School Committee and school are kind of in a crisis point.” During this year’s budgeting process, Erving School Union 28 cut staff to achieve a balanced budget for fiscal year 2024, a controversial decision committee members said was the only option under such strict financial restraints.
“That may have been avoidable,” Blatchley said, adding that had he attended more meetings previously, he might have asked valuable questions to help steer the committee toward a better outcome. “I think we really need to get the administration as a whole pulling together.”
Blatchley, an Erving resident of 20 years, worked as a teacher for more than 50 years before retiring. He recalled his experience as a science teacher and outdoor program leader for adolescents with special needs. For a few years after retiring, Blatchley worked as a substitute paraprofessional and as a special education teacher in Union 28 schools. He currently chairs the Conservation Commission.
Should he be elected to the School Committee, Blatchley hopes to pursue “additional accountability from the superintendent’s office” in terms of transparency addressing concerns from the community. He also seeks answers as to why Erving’s budget struggles are relatively unique, calling Union 28 an otherwise “excellent district.”
“Why is Swift River not having the problems we’re having?” he pondered. “Why is Leverett not having the problems we’re having?”
Having already served nine years on the School Committee, Semb, 57, said his motivation to run again in 2023 is rooted in a love for his work and pride in the district’s success.
“I love the children and we want the best for our kids,” he said. “I really enjoy doing it and want to keep Erving the best school possible.”
Semb is a lifelong Erving resident, former Finance Committee member of seven years and current chair of the School Committee’s budget and personnel subcommittees. He credits his financial savvy as a quality that sets him apart from others who could be in his position.
Semb added that while the School Committee has been forced to make “very tough decisions” recently, he and his colleagues have nurtured a school to be proud of.
“It’s been a very challenging last three years with COVID and the budget, but we all seem to work together pretty well,” he said. “You can’t make everybody happy, but before COVID, everybody seemed to look at Erving as, ‘They did it right.’”
Mailloux-Little, 33, has lived in Erving her whole life and attended Erving Elementary School from preschool to sixth grade. She has 15 years of experience in the field of education.
As a mother with children entering Erving Elementary School, Mailloux-Little said she is not afraid to ask questions or voice her concerns. She also wants to bridge the gap between the School Committee and the Erving Elementary community.
“I want to continue to improve community engagement with clear and transparent communication and start to highlight stories of all the great things happening at Erving Elementary School by inviting featured guests at School Committee meetings to present and share. This is something that used to happen and I would love to bring it back,” Mailloux-Little said.”
Mailloux-Little currently works as an education research and policy director for an early-learning curriculum business. Her previous positions in education range from substitute teaching to administering grant-funded programs and services at Erving Elementary.
Other uncontested positions on Monday’s ballot are as follows:
■Selectboard, three-year term — Daniel H. Watson.
■Assessor, three-year term — Erik J. Eichorn, incumbent.
■Treasurer, three-year term — Jennifer L. Eichorn, incumbent.
■Library trustee, three-year term — no candidate.
■Moderator, one-year term — Richard K. Peabody, incumbent.
■School Committee, one-year term — no candidate.
■Tree warden, one-year term — Michael J. Gordon, incumbent.
■Constable, three-year term — Arthur A. Kaczenski, incumbent.
■Planning Board, two seats with three-year terms — Debra L. Smith, incumbent; and Melanie J. Burnett, incumbent.
■Planning Board, one-year term — no candidate.
■Recreation Commission, two seats with three-year terms — Renee A. Tela, incumbent; and Erik J. Eichorn, incumbent.
■Recreation Commission, two seats with two-year terms — Kathleen M. Sadler, incumbent; Jacquelyn M. Boyden, incumbent.
■Recreation Commission, one-year term — William A. Bembury.
■Board of Health, three-year term — Jay R. Niedbala, incumbent.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.