After two School Committee members submitted their resignations last week, the Select Board and School Committee are seeking applicants to fill their positions. The town announced that interested residents need to submit applications by Friday, Jan. 19.
“Pursuant to the Town Charter and state law, the Select Board and School Committee will meet in joint session to appoint residents to these vacancies,” the town’s website reads. “Those appointed will serve until the April 2024 town election.”
Two residents, Jenny Sheehan and Kristen Elworthy, announced last week on Facebook that they had pulled papers to serve on the School Committee and intend to run for a one-year term.
Sheehan, a longtime Lynnfield resident, is a parent to three students enrolled in the Lynnfield Public Schools. She is a member of the Summer Street School’s PTO board and co-president of the Bethlehem Pre-School PTO. Sheehan also owns a btone FITNESS franchise located in Middleton.
“I certainly never expected to end up here when I first began advocating for smaller classes nearly 10 months ago,” Sheehan said in her Facebook post. “However, in the time since, I’ve spent countless hours researching town policies, reading budget documents, re-watching previous committee meetings, and collaborating with dozens of amazing parents and educators in this town. And while I am saddened by the series of events that have created a need for interim School Committee members, I feel I owe it to all the amazing citizens and teachers of this town who have invested their time, confided in me their experiences, and shared with me their knowledge over these past months, to step up at this moment and try to make a positive impact for the school system and all its stakeholders.”
Elworthy has been a student in the Lynnfield Public Schools system and is also a parent to three LPS students. She has been vocal in the past about the issues involving the School Committee and Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel.
“There are challenges that Lynnfield is facing that are unique to our district and others that are shared by educators nationwide,” Elworthy said in her Facebook post. “We can take those and make them into excuses, or we can decide that they are opportunities to problem solve, innovate, and collaborate in a way that will allow our district to thrive long-term and set an example for other districts.”
