Jenna Hardy: Candidate, Merrimack School Budget Committee

Jenna Hardy

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Position Sought

School District Budget Committee

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Husband, Scot (46). Children ages 16, 14, 13 and 7 who all attend school in Merrimack.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

I have a Bachelors degree in Education from Cedarville University and a Master's degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Creative Arts in Learning) from Lesley University.

Occupation

After teaching in public school for several years, I left teaching to be a stay at home mom when we had our first child. After a few years, I worked part time as a Children's Pastor at a local church for 9 years. However, after adding our 4th child to our family in 2016, I decided to stay home full time again.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

None

Why are you seeking elective office?

I grew up in Merrimack, attended school here, and my parents (who are now retired) still live here in town. After going to college, getting married and having kids, my husband and I moved to Merrimack in 2008 because we felt like this town was a great community with so much to offer kids and families.

I have a Masters degree in Education and before choosing to stay home full time with my children, I started my teaching career teaching Title 1 at Reeds Ferry. Then I spent several years teaching 4th/5th grade looping in Windham. I was also a Children's Pastor at a local church from 2008-2017 leading a team of 80-100 volunteers to provide children's programming throughtout the year for kids birth through grade 5.

My husband and I have four children ages 16, 14, 13, and 7 who have attended school here in Merrimack since my oldest started kindergarten. We have had children go through every school in the Merrimack school district except Mastricola Elementary. I have also volunteered in various capacities within these schools and have substituted in the school district as well. Our kids are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities- theater, FIRST Robotics, soccer, and band to name a few- so we are very, very active participants in various aspects of the school community.

One of our children also receives Special Education services, so I understand the unique concerns facing families of children who require Special Education services so that their children can reach their fullest potential and be included as much as possible alongside their typical peers.

As a result of being involved in the school community in various capacities I have a front row seat and insider view from various perspectives to the successes and challenges faced daily by our students, teachers, and administrators. To say I am very familiar with and a huge supporter of our school district is an understatement.

As a one-income family and with parents who are retired and still live here in Merrimack, I am also very aware of the rising cost of taxes in our town. I hear the concerns of retirees who fear being taxed out of their houses and of other families struggling with the rising tax burden. I will evaluate the budget considering input from the school board, school district administrators, and taxpayers with an eye towards looking at how we can keep costs low while still maximizing the outcomes of our students, implementing best practices for education and safety, and maintaining and updating our facilities so they best serve our school community.

I take the responsibility of serving on the School District Budget Committee to help keep our taxes reasonable and our schools thriving in their pursuit of excellence very seriously because my family is so highly invested in this community and because I care deeply about my friends and neighbors and their families as well.
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The School District Budget Committee really doesn't hold a lot of power to make changes to any issues facing the school district. Really, it serves as "another set of eyes" on the school district budget. I know as a voter, when I am in the voting booth, I look closely at each Warrant Article to see not only how the School Board voted for it, but also how the Budget Committee voted for it as well. I especially pay attention to where there might be a difference of opinion, and I pay attention to those issues closely. I see the role of Budget Committee member as a liaison in a sense between the school district and the community. They are people who need to learn from and listen to both sides and take into consideration the needs of BOTH of those groups of people when voting for or against warrant articles each year. So, for me, the most important thing as a Budget Committee member is to constantly keep the balance between the needs of the school district and our responsibility to the community in the forefront of our minds as we serve.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

It is so very exciting to have so many fantastic candidates to choose from this year. I am pleased to say, that out of the 10 candidates for School District Budget Committee, there are only a few I wouldn't vote for myself. So, truly, I find I have more in common with the majority of candidates than I have differences. The few I think I differ from the most seem to me to have a blatant distrust of our school administration and our school board. That concerns me greatly. In order to have a good working relationship, we need to be able to listen to people with more experience than us. If as a budget committee member, someone doesn't trust the expertise of our administrators and educational leaders they need to learn from in order to truly understand the needs and challenges of the school district, that to me is a fundamental breakdown. We can't assume we know better than the experts and we cannot let our own personal values or our self-made echo chambers outweigh the concerns and needs of the school community or the community at large. As a voter myself, I'm looking for a candidate without a personal agenda. I'm looking for someone who wants to see both the Merrimack School District continue to grow, thrive and improve while also making sure reitrees- like my parents- can affordably live out their retirements in the community they love.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I don't believe the current budget committee or school board has failed at all. I do, however, hear from people in the comunity that they would like to see a greater transparency between the community and the school board/administration. I would agree that there are ways that we can improve community involvement in school district decisions and increased transparency that would be positive for everyone. So, to whatever degree I can encourage that as a member for the Budget Committee, that is a priority for me.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As an educator, a parent, and a school substitute and volunteer as well, I understand the unique needs and challenges of a school district from many different angles. As a Children's Pastor working with a very strict budget, I know how to carefully manage the tension between keeping costs low while simultaneously providing high quality programming for children and families. Having worked for years on various teams with various points of view, I have learned how to listen, learn from various perspectives, and put my own first judgements aside to compromise or learn and grow in my position.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Love your neighbor as yourself. (Sometimes paraphrased by my parents as "Life is not all about you.")

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am fiercely committed to continuing to make sure Merrimack's schools are pursuing excellence, and I am committed to taking my role on the School Budget Committee seriously by putting aside what I think I know to listen and learn along the way to teachers, students, parents, adminitrators and the community to find the best balance in our approach to funding schools. As a Budget Committee member, I understand I won't have nearly as much influence as a school board member would. However, I am committed to working with the various departments in the school district to learn as much as I can about the school budget and weighing the needs of the school community against those of taxpayers who face continually rising costs. I believe holding the tension between both groups is very possible so that in Merrimack we ALL win.