Meet the Region 15 Board of Education Candidates at Forum

The Region 15 Board of Education candidates will attend a forum from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Pomperaug High School, 234 Judd Rd., in the All Purpose Room.

The forum is designed to introduce the candidates running for a four-year term on the Pomperaug Regional School District 15’s Board of Education in a question-and-answer format.

"We are so pleased to provide this opportunity for voters to get to know the men and women on the slate and what they stand for," said Alexandra Gittines, PTO coordinator of the Candidates Forum. "The audience will hopefully leave with a strong understanding of each candidate’s position on education."

Four candidates in Middlebury are vying for two open positions: Fran Brennan, John Cookson, incumbent Joseph Drauss and incumbent Daniel Fitzgerald, Jr.

In Southbury, five candidates are competing for three open Board of Education positions: Jason Buchsbaum, Jennifer Connelly, incumbent Sharon Guck, John Monteleone and Steve Suriani.

"All party-sponsored candidates were invited to participate in the forum," said Gittines.

This is the fourth time that the Region 15 PTO Advisory Council has sponsored the Candidates Forum.

The forum will be televised live on the educational cable channel 16 in Middlebury and channel 17 in Southbury.

The program will be re-cablecast often until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and will be posted on the Region 15 website.

The PTO Advisory Council is made up of parent-representatives from each of the seven schools' PTOs in Region 15. The superintendent, a selectman from Middlebury and Southbury, and a Board of Education representative also attend the monthly meetings.

The goal of the council is to enhance the communication between the PTOs and the Region 15 Administration. Its responsibilities include heightening budget awareness and helping citizens become better informed about their choices for elected representatives.