Ward 4 Lewiston School Committee candidate Craig Charpentier. Courtesy of Craig Charpentier
LEWISTON — Ward 4 resident Craig Charpentier is running for the School Committee. The MEDCo processing director hopes serve his first term on the committee.
Community engagement: Kid’s baseball coach, McMahon School chaperone, local church volunteer, volunteer recovery work assisting others in maintaining sobriety
How would you manage the school budget? Allocate more funds to schools or pull back spending? Why?
Apart from State mandates that require local funding, I believe a critical line-item review of the budget is necessary. Analyzing the gap between our investments and our inadequate outcomes is imperative. I would first scrutinize programs that yield inadequate results and redirect those funds toward essential, more measurably effective initiatives. I would propose identifying duplicative programs and expenditures, and consolidate them as any family or business does to maintain fiscal health. By reallocating resources strategically, we can enhance our students’ education while relieving the tax burden on our community.
Do you believe student safety is a priority and would you support initiatives that address safety issues?
Ensuring the safety of our students must be a baseline priority, especially given the rise in crime and violence within our city. I am deeply committed to collaborating with fellow committee members to implement initiatives that address safety concerns in our schools. No child should feel afraid to go to school, use a bathroom or live in fear of their peers — in hallways or online. In addition to a zero-tolerance policy on bullying, appropriate consequences must be applied to all students equally. This proactive step will provide robust protection and peace of mind to our students, faculty, and parents.
Do you believe students’ social and emotional needs are being met in schools? What could be done differently?
Despite the growing quantity of programs and resources dedicated to social and emotional needs in schools, we seem to be hearing about more situations and events happening within schools that indicate that the kids are not alright. It is time for a rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of all resources dedicated to social and emotional health to discover where the gaps between intention and outcome lie. Schools should first be socially and emotionally supportive to students by ensuring respect, safety and order within their own walls. We must raise and enforced behavioral standards.
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?
While there are various avenues for parents and community members to engage with school committee members and express their concerns, the School Committee section on the Lewiston Public Schools website and the recordings of meetings require major quality upgrades. Additionally, I am committed to introducing a parental Bill of Rights, with the aim of improving parents’ inclusion and empowerment in all aspects of their children’s education. By facilitating open lines of communication, we can strengthen the partnership between parents, our school committee and the community it serves.
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