Jennifer Ryan for South Portland’s Board of Education, at large Jennifer Ryan

Claire Holman for South Portland Board of Education, at large Claire Holman

Eleni Richardson for South Portland Board of Education, at large Eleni Richardson

Rosemarie DeAngelis for South Portland Board of Education, district three Rosemarie DeAngelis

Melinda Aloes for South Portland Board of Education, district three Melinda Aloes

South Portland has six candidates for the board of education, Jennifer Ryan (at-large), Claire Holdman (at-large), Eleni Richardson (at-large), Melinda Aloes (District 3), Rosemarie DeAngelis (District 3) and Jennifer Kinney (District 5).

Ryan, 42, is running for the Board of Education, at-large. She and her husband Mike have been married for 11 years and have one son, an 8-year-old who attends Skillin Elementary School. Ryan has worked at Unum in Portland for over 10 years and is currently a project manager in its finance organization. She is in the third year of her first term as a school board member in South Portland, previously serving as vice chair in 2022 and currently serving as chair of the board this year.

“One challenge we face is how best to utilize our facilities to create equitable learning experiences for every student. Because of how our elementary schools are geographically situated some are at capacity while others experience lower enrollment and smaller class sizes,” Ryan said. She said that everyone must work together to find common ground on the district’s vision and goals. “We also face safety, security, and wellness concerns across our schools. Including the need for physical upgrades to our buildings such as improved entry vestibules at our elementary schools and addressing the state of our field complex at SPHS to support our athletics and music program, and extracurricular activities,” Ryan said. Lastly, she said students’ mental health must be addressed, starting with building a culture of belonging within the schools. “Fostering environments where students feel a sense of belonging and support from their teachers and school staff is the first step towards ensuring they have the opportunity to expand their potential,” Ryan said.

Holman is running for the board of education at-large. She is married with one child who is a senior at South Portland High School. Her son has attended South Portland schools ever since kindergarten. Holman was elected as school board member at-large in 2020 and is running for a second term. She has a BA in sociolinguistics from Hampshire College, and MS ed TESL from Queens College. She teaches French and Spanish in the Linguistics Department at USM, after many years of teaching in USM’s English for Speakers of Other Languages program.

Holman thinks some of South Portland’s issues are helping newcomers as well as longtime residents and school funding. She said students from other countries need help developing the language and cultural tools needed for success here in Maine. She said Maine needs young people and she hopes they will stay in Maine, join the workforce, and become professionals. “It’s important to me that all of our students, whether newcomers or longtime residents, benefit from equity in schoolwide systems and opportunities.”

Holman said that, “One important concern is how our schools in South Portland will handle challenges to funding as we go forward. Much Covid-era funding that bolstered our budget is set to end.” She said she is ready to put in the time and energy to find creative and realistic ways to make sure our schools continue to serve all students well. “When we advance our next school budget, we need to be mindful of taxpayers, including seniors on fixed incomes,” said Holman.

Richardson is running for board of education at-large. Richardson is married with two sons, ages 5 and 7. She is currently employed with Legal Counsel and Stone Coast Fund Services, and this is her first time running for office.

Richardson said she doesn’t see problems facing South Portland, just challenges requiring a dedicated and diverse school board to address. “Our diverse community of students and caregivers, including large influxes of new Mainers requiring specialized resources, enrich our schools and students’ educational experiences, but present resource-allocation challenges,” Richardson said. She said as a school board member, she will ensure the policies and budget address this challenge.

A lack of affordable childcare is another challenge said Richardson. She said she experienced the undue stress families feel firsthand when faced with lack of affordable childcare as this was the first year both of her sons were in public school. She said as a school board member she will advocate for a community-wide Pre-k program.

Richardson says that transparency and accountability within the school board and district administration is crucial. “More proactive engagement with caregivers and teachers will lead to more informed decision-making, improved educational outcomes, and foster a culture of responsibility and responsiveness within our school system. For example, our educational leaders need to be more proactive in involving the community in the discussions around the possible re-drawing of our elementary schools’ boundary lines,” said Richardson. She said that sending out emails with public-forum notices and surveys is not enough for something that will have such lasting impacts on our community.

Aloes, 43, is running for the board of education’s District 3. She is married with four children and is a self-employed painting contractor. This is her first time running for an elected position.

“Ensuring an equitable learning experience throughout all of our schools is very important to me. I am a member of the Boundaries and Configurations Steering Committee that was formed during the last school year to assess whether our elementary schools are configured in a way to create equity throughout the district,” said Aloes. She said she thinks it’s important to have open, honest conversations as our city evolves. “School safety is also of utmost importance. I hope we can continue to research ways to ensure our students arrive daily to a safe and nurturing learning environment,” Aloes said.

DeAngelis is running for re-election for the board of education’s District 3. DeAngelis has over 40 years’ experience as an educator, beginning as a speech/language pathologist at the elementary level with 28 years in SP, kindergarten through high school working with students with special needs. She has 17 years at Southern Maine Community College, teaching writing and speaking to non-native English speakers (primarily). She has served for six years on the South Portland City Council and was mayor in 2011. DeAngelis is the chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, and she is now on the school board for District 3. DeAngelis is on the board of directors for the Community Garden Collective. She has also served on the PROP Board of Directors, Civil Service Commission as well as teacher union president, chief negotiator, and grievance chair. She founded Color of Community, “an organization of young immigrant, refugee and asylum seekers who travel to faith groups, community groups and schools to teach about bias, prejudice and hate, replacing it with tolerance, acceptance and love.”

DeAngelis said the biggest issues facing the education community are housing, diversity, equity and inclusion in schools and community, including special needs and LGBTQ population-safety and inclusion.

DeAngelis said those who work here should be able to live here. She said that the needs of all students must be met, without bias. “With my teaching background and a son from Rwanda, I have extensive experience with the multicultural community. I have found housing for over 40 people, but it has become increasingly difficult.” She said how success is measured must be inclusive, not partial to one group or based on economic status. “I think that safe roads/walkways are crucial to the well-being of children and all residents. The Bike/Ped Committee focuses on this work,” DeAngelis said.

Another important responsibility of the school board is evaluating superintendent effectiveness, said DeAngelis. She said she has evaluated nine other people in similar positions, so she brings knowledge and experience. “With a strong union background, I understand the challenges of all bargaining groups and bring a history of support and experience as well,” she said. “I appreciate your support on Nov. 7.”

Election Day is Nov. 7. There are several polling places. Check the city’s website to determine polling locations.