New School Committee Member Lauren Conoscenti On Her Election

ANDOVER, MA — Lauren Conoscenti was elected to the Andover School Committee, Tuesday, winning more than half the vote in a three-candidate race.

She shared comments with Andover Patch, Wednesday, on her victory in the campaign.

"After volunteering for many years, I am excited to step up and take on a more involved role," she said. "I am proud to have run a campaign that had broad support from students to seniors."

Conoscenti earned 1,328 votes, or 51.2 percent, according to the unofficial results. Just 10.38 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

"I spent a lot of time learning about Andover and the context in which our current school issues can be placed, and I worked hard to articulate my strengths, share my vision, and express my values throughout," Conoscenti said.

The election came in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, and the originally scheduled election date was postponed more than two months, from an original date of March 24. This changed the campaign a great deal, Conoscenti noted.

"When the pandemic hit and our ideas of what a campaign looked like were thrown out the window, I was eager to find new ways to connect with people," the new school committee member said. "By sharing windows into my family’s experience, providing links to available resources, and amplifying opportunities from local organizations to share our Andover spirit from home, I hope that people saw my positivity, constructiveness, and authenticity. Whether that made the difference is hard to know, but it came from the heart and felt right."

It also changes what she will have to focus on as a member of the Committee, Conoscenti said.

"I think that many of the things that we, as candidates expected to be tackling as School Committee members when we first decided to run for office have been turned upside-down by the pandemic," she explained. "Residents are rightfully concerned about what school will look like and how we will pay for it. It will be a daunting challenge and there is no modern blueprint for how we move forward."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.