Framingham Man Mounts Write-In Campaign For School Committee

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham School Committee races in 2021 are almost set in stone.

All nine candidates are running unopposed, including two newcomers who will take over for outgoing members Geoffrey Epstein and Scott Wadland.

But in the District 9 race, where incumbent William Labarge is running for his second term, write-in candidate Scott Hayes is hoping to win the seat. Labarge said he wants a second term to continue working on issues like COVID-19 safety and keeping programs like pre-kindergarten.

Hayes has in part focused his campaign on advocating for lifting the district's mask mandate. He wrote on his Facebook campaign page in August that he is "not for mask mandates or vaccination mandates," but in a September post criticized Superintendent Robert Tremblay and the School Committee for "refusing to make vaccines a mandate for the employees." He has also questioned the usefulness of renaming Harmony Grove Elementary.

Framingham Patch asked Hayes to answer a few questions about his 2021 run, including why he didn't file as a candidate to get his name on the ballot.

Tell voters about yourself and why you want to sit on the School Committee. Include some details about your schooling.

my reasons for wanting to get on the school committee is because I have seen too much time and money wasted not educating our children to succeed in the real world. I want to sit on the committee for district 9 because it’s where I’ve lived for the last 4 years and I believe it’s the most neglected district when it comes to equity in education in the city.

I grew up in Brookline Public Schools in Brookline Ma, graduated High in South Portland Maine and immediately entered the Army. I served for 11 years and then returned home to Massachusetts. I enrolled and passed both EMT and Paramedic courses ,utilizing my GI Bill, then taught EMT for a while and worked for a company based out of Texas.

Why didn't you file you get on the ballot to challenge the incumbent?

I had been on the fence for months. Then one night in august during a school committee meeting I had reached my point of what I could watch and no longer take action. Covid had taken over education and we as a city failed our children miserably with remote learning and no one was following the actual science which was clear that schools could be open and be done safely.

Write-in candidates don't usually perform well in elections, so how are you reaching voters this year?

how am I reaching voters? Via New Balance. I have been out walking the streets and knocking on doors. I put my money where my mouth is. I said I was going to be doing this. I know it’s an uphill battle but I love a good challenge. I have been handing out stickers that can be used on the ballot along with my business card that lists all my info and directs you to my Facebook page. I’ve probably spoken to 100 or so families in the district and numerous teachers at Harmony Grove as well who want better for our school and children.

What's something you would do differently than the incumbent?

I would do a lot of things different than our current member William Labarge. First off I would be extremely active in the school. Military mentality, feet on the ground gets the best situational awareness. I would regularly hold meetings with constituents and teachers to discuss the issues they are facing and do my best to help find solutions. Currently our member is not engaged with the public in our district. He doesn’t have a Facebook page very few people know his name. My walking and talking to the parents, kids and teachers wouldn’t be stopping if I get elected. It’s part of my plan to fix the issues at Harmony Grove.