William LaBarge On 2021 Framingham School Board Run

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Unless something odd happens, we already know who's going to win the Framingham School Committee seats up for election in 2021.

The seven incumbents running for reelection are all unopposed. Two members are not running in 2021 — Scott Wadland in District 3 and Geoffrey Epstein in District 6 — but the two locals running for their seats are also unopposed.

Even still, Framingham Patch reached out to each School Committee candidate running this year to ask why they're seeking another term, what they want to accomplish and how to encourage more people to get involved in local politics.

William LaBarge, 64, won his District 9 seat on the School Committee in 2019 after running unsuccessfully for the District 9 Council seat in 2017. He's seeking a second term in 2021 for a host of reasons, including preserving pre-kindergarten classes and continuing to work on pandemic-related issues.

Why did you choose to run for reelection?

First or all, I do not want to leave District 9 unrepresented. Others have expressed interest in having me to continue on the School Committee. Our work with COVID-19 and getting our schools full, in-person, mask optional, and doing it safely need to continue to a successful conclusion. We also have issues of equity in our public education, and responding to the concerns expressed by our community, especially having our school on Leland St renamed to Harmony Grove Elementary School.

You're running unopposed this year. Does that concern you? What's one way the city could get more citizens involved in local politics?

Actually, I do have a write-in candidate running against me over the issues of vaccination passport and renaming the school on Leland St. As far as getting citizens to involved in local politics, for starter, we could have civic lessons about our municipal government be taught in our middle schools and high school. I dare say that there is no easy answers. Most elected positions do require plenty of work to be put forth, perhaps more than what people are able to commit to with little or no pay. The upside is that these elected officials do have a direct say on what is to happen in the City of Framingham. On the school’s side, voters (assuming that the race is contested) can choose whether they support the incumbents’ policies on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, race relation, etc. in the Framingham Public Schools.

Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!

What's your top priority for your next term?

My top priority is to prevent progress being undone in the name of reducing our property taxes. One example, not be winding down pre-kindergarten program for we know that an individual taxpayer will pay to send their kids to nursery school if that parent can afford it. Beside, kids who went to pre-kindergarten program has a much higher success rate than those kids who did not go to the pre-kindergarten program. I also want to protect the quality of our education not be dumbed down by politic such as having our science program being cut or otherwise compromised, and also allow the parents to have a choice on history being taught to their children and not have such choice be scuttled by other groups of people. I have no patience with falsehood being presented as the truth, however, it’s true, it’s fair game to be taught as the truth. I want our school children to get the best quality education that our tax dollars can afford us to do so. As a mean of making it safe for the schools with the COVID-19 pandemic, I urge all to get vaccinated.

RELATED: Meet Jennifer Moshe, New Framingham School Committee Member