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Date: 7/27/2022
SOUTH HADLEY – Three-year School Committee veteran Kyle Belanger has been appointed back to the committee through an interim seat following a 5-2 combined vote between the School Committee and the Selectboard during their July 22 joint meeting.
Belanger, who served two years as chair of the committee during his tenure, left the school committee after feeling burnt out in 2021 following a three-year term but has volunteered his name to fill the seat open following the resignation of former Chair Jackson Matos. Matos resigned due to health issues.
The Selectboard posted a vacancy notice that stayed open for 30 days and both Belanger and Lily Newman volunteered to help fill the role until the next election in April.
As a professor at Springfield College, Belanger said in his opening remarks that he would bring his understanding of the School Committee’s process and procedures as well as knowledge for current issues in the schools.
“Let’s be honest, this is a time of great challenge for us all across all departments in town,” Belanger said. “I’m here as a potential addition to our committee who sees these moments as moments to plant new growth and fertile soil. I’m eager to hop back in and help.”
One of the first questions Belanger received from the joint boards was from Selectboard Chair Jeff Cyr who asked if he had plans to run for the position in April. Belanger responded by saying no and that he was volunteering now to help the committee get through the upcoming school year and up to the election.
Selectboard member Renee Sweeney asked Belanger what he was most interested in about the committee work to which he responded saying he thought there was no better charge moving forward than to assist on the search for a new superintendent.
“Without a CEO of the company, it’s really hard to see the company in its totality,” Belanger said.
When asked by Selectboard member Danielle Cooke about what other work he would like to support, Belanger said he would be happy and willing to help with the “elephant in the room” of contract negotiations between the district and the teachers union.
Following the vote, School Committee Chair Allison Schlachter said Belanger was a good fit for the interim role because three of the four current members were newer to the position.
“While we have a very competent and smart collaborative group of people on the committee, Kyle’s experience in the role would be really helpful currently,” Schlachter said.
The School Committee voted in favor of Belanger unanimously, while the Selectboard voted against 1-2 with the one yes vote for coming from member Carol Constant.
The other candidate for the interim position was Lily Newman who has had a career in education from teaching to administration. Newman said education for her is the opportunity to work with the youth and she connects with her work by having seen the ways it can touch a family’s lives.
When taking questions, Sweeney asked Newman the same question about interest in running for the position full time in the spring. Newman said she would “absolutely” be looking to run in the election for a full term on the committee due to her interest in helping the community.
Sweeney spoke of many areas of work she would like to participate in if appointed to the role and said she wanted to focus on listening to the community and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work. She also noted that focusing on the turnover in leadership in town, both at the administrative and district levels, was important for the committee to focus on.
While she was not voted into the role, Schlachter said Newman was an excellent candidate and she hopes to see Newman run in April for a full term.
“The vote had nothing to do with thinking Lily would not be amazing in the role,” Schlachter said.