Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 1/11/2022
EASTHAMPTON – Cynthia Kwiecinski will serve another term as the chair of the Easthampton School Committee.
Kwiecinski was selected to another term as chair by a unanimous vote at the committee’s organizational meeting on Jan. 3. Committee member Laurie Garcia made the motion for Kwiecinski to continue as chair, a proposal that was met without protest and no other nominee was put forward.
She was reelected as the leading vote-getter an uncontested race on Nov. 2, 2021. This is her fourth two-year term on the committee, extending a tenure that began in with her election in 2015.
Reelected along with Kwiecinski were fellow committee members Garcia, Shannon Dunham, and Marin Goldstein. Dunham, however, is currently on a medical leave recovering from serious medical issues she experienced last year. Megan Harvey and Benjamin Hersey also joined the committee as newly elected members for the first time at the meeting.
The committee initially found itself struggling somewhat to determine who would fill the role of secretary and subcommittee appointments. Superintendent Allison LeClair noted that some of the difficulty was the result of the fact that not only was Dunham unavailable but Mayor Nicole LaChapelle was not present at the meeting to offer her services to a subcommittee.
“I think it’s a little daunting for the five of you to take on all of those roles,” LeClair said.
Garcia said she did not recall the mayor ever taking part in any subcommittees. Kwiecinski admitted the School Committee was “a little short,” but only two members were needed for a subcommittee to have a quorum so there was not a concern in that regard.
Harvey was selected as the committee’s secretary. Before calling for nominations, Kwiecinski opined that the position should be occupied by someone with experience, noting that the secretary would fill in for the chair in the event she could not attend a meeting. Goldstein, however, warned against limiting the field for the position, arguing it was an opportunity for members to gain more experience and noted only three members who have served previously on the committee were at the meeting, a point Kwiecinski conceded.
Explaining her suggestion, Kwiecinski said, “There’s a curve. The first year is really hard as a new committee member.”
While there was hesitance to commit to the position, Garcia and Harvey both said they were willing to take on the role. Goldstein eventually nominated Harvey, saying he felt it was a role she could learn with the support of the committee.
The Finance Subcommittee includes Goldstein, Kwiecinski and Harvey. Garcia and Hersey will act as a two-person Policy Subcommittee for the time being with Dunham joining that committee when she is healthy and sworn in for her new term. Goldstein and Garcia made the motions for their respective committees and both were passed unanimously.
Goldstein questioned whether the School Committee should maintain three members on the Policy Subcommittee in Dunham’s absence to which Kwiecinski responded that with budget season approaching, the Finance Committee felt like a more pressing need. She said she felt the Policy Subcommittee could “limp along” with two members until Dunham returns.
Hersey also volunteered to serve as Easthampton’s representative in the Collaborative for Educational Services.
Garcia and Goldstein will continue in their roles with the Wellness Committee and Safety Committee, respectively. Goldstein and Kwiecinski will also continue as members of the School Building Committee. Dunham was also a member of this committee previously.
Harvey, an epidemiologist currently serving the city by administering its COVID-19 dashboard, agreed to be the committee’s representative on the COVID-19 response team. Garcia and Hersey will work with the Equity Committee.