New School Committee Member is One of Youngest in the State

When Jeanise Bertrand joins the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee for the first time on Thursday night, she will be the youngest member of the nine-member committee.

And she will be one of the youngest School Committee members in the state, but not the youngest ever.

The Salem State University senior was elected to the committee in her first run for publicly-elected office. She is a political science major who will graduate in December. She is a Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School graduate.

Jim Hardy, field director for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said that while being elected at 22 is quite an accomplishment, there have been younger people elected to a School Committee. He said there have been a few 18-year-olds elected over the years.

"Serving on a school committee is definitely a unique opportunity to do good things for kids," Hardy said.

Hardy said there is at least one 20 year old serving on a School Committee in Massachusetts right now.

The School Committee meets at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Buker Elementary School at 7 p.m. The , will also join the board for the first time at that meeting.

The committee will also select a chairman and other leadership positions for the coming year.