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Southbridge school committee candidates back DESE plan, say recovering local control is near-term goal
Summary
Four candidates for Southbridge school committee — two incumbents on the ballot and two write-ins — told forum attendees they support following the state DESE turnaround plan to return schools to local control and cited meeting phase 2 milestones with an optimistic timeline of about one to three years.
Four people seeking seats on the Southbridge school committee told a candidate forum they support the committee’s current work to follow the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) turnaround plan and to secure conditions for returning the district to local governance.
Candidates and positions: Maria Torres, a current school committee member, is running for a three-year term and appeared on the ballot; Norma Tesnick and Jacqueline Fernandez are running (Tesnick was an on-stage candidate; Fernandez is a write-in) and Stephanie Rivers is a write-in candidate. At the forum, candidates emphasized different strengths: Torres cited teamwork and community engagement; Fernandez highlighted her experience as a special-education teacher and her work restarting the Special Education Parent Action Council (CPAC); Rivers pointed to project-management skills and long-standing community involvement.
DESE plan and receivership: Norma Tesnick said the committee "has been meeting all requirements and have meeting all DESE plans guidelines, we have actually, been able to move on to phase 2." Candidates said they have toured school buildings and met with the new receiver, Bill Metzger, and expressed cautious optimism about progress.
Assessment and MCAS: When asked about statewide testing changes and whether MCAS should be required to graduate, candidates noted that coursework and local graduation requirements remain central. "We already have credit requirements, to graduate," one candidate explained, and several emphasized that assessment should encompass multiple measures — coursework, portfolios, internships and readiness indicators — rather than depending solely on a single standardized test.
Timeline and priorities: Candidates gave guarded timelines for returning control: one said short-term (about one year) and longer-term (three years) were plausible depending on follow-through. They identified priorities including following DESE checklists, ensuring fiscal and staffing stability, maintaining communication between the school committee and town council, and sustaining grant-funded programs.
Ending: All four candidates urged turnout in the June 10 election and framed membership on the committee as a public-service opportunity to help restore local governance for Southbridge Public Schools.
