Grafton Select Board, School Committee candidates do minor head-butting in debate

Officially, Sunday’s gathering of candidates for the Grafton Town Election was billed as a debate. 

But candidates in the opposed races for Select Board and School Committee spent a lot of time agreeing with each other during the two-hour League of Women Voters’ debate.

The full debate video is above. Some highlights from the evening:

School Committee Candidates

Stacie Norton Bennett, two kids (one in the Grafton schools), program director for a local non-profit, runs an after school life skills program for at-risk kids. Has also worked as a high school English teacher.

Why she’s running: “Hopefully, I’ll be a voice for some of the parents who have come to me wanting change.” Wants to get parents more involved in school decisions, both in the classroom and by making the School Committee more accessible to input.

Liora Bram, two kids in the Grafton schools, has “the experience of parenting two kids with very different needs.” Recently finished her term as co-chair of the Grafton Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC).

Why she’s running: “It’s made me a passionate advocate for all students in Grafton…. I  believe that all of our students, no matter what they’re learning, no matter where they come from, need an individualized experience.”

Craig Juelis, two kids in the Grafton schools, has a long career as an educator, working first as a history teacher before moving to the administrative side. He’s served as a high school principal in Attleboro and most recently was a middle school principal in Medway.

Why he’s running: “My goal in this is to ensure that all the voices in the town of Grafton be included.”

Amy Marr, two kids in the Grafton schools, one who will graduate in June. She is finishing up her first term on the School Committee, where she serves as chair, and spent the past 13 years volunteering in the Grafton schools.

Why she’s running: She believes the schools should teach students to be lifelong learners; embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion; be fiscally responsible; and be transparent.

When asked how Grafton can improve its ranking, noting that Grafton High does not rank in the top 1,500 of schools in the United States but Sutton and Hopedale do…

“At the risk of sounding flippant, why would we?” Marr asked. She recalled working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the effort the administration made to answer the self-reporting surveys to keep the college high on “best of” lists. “I worry about the students and whether or not they’re successful after graduation.”

Bennett immediately agreed and said she feels the same way about MCAS rankings. Noting those rankings seem to serve to boost home sales, she added that the schools should answer to the needs in Grafton “and we have plenty of people here. We don’t have to attract any more.”

Bram also agreed, suggesting that the schools can be measured by the success of students even with a lower per-pupil spending percentage. “I think those rankings are heavily weighted to favor wealthy school districts.”

Juelis experienced the pressure to improve scores as a high school principal — but he believes students shouldn’t be ranked solely on test scores. “What are (the students) doing two years after graduation, four years after graduation?” he asked.

Select Board Candidates

Candidate Carl Palmer, an IT professional, did not attend the debate.

Ann Marie Foley, a Grafton resident of 30 years, is a physical therapist serving patients with disabilities. She has two children and served on the Grafton Recreation Commission for a decade, working to establish a skate park and renovate the former Super Park. An environmental advocate, she was involved in the town’s plastic bag ban and efforts to reduce styrofoam use.

Why she’s running: “I’m running for Select Board because I’m dedicated to forward progress for Grafton.”

On affordable housing: With the town in safe harbor, it needs to work with developers for creative solutions. “I think the challenge isn’t so much affordable housing but the number of units that are coming on in town.”

On economic development: The town needs to work with the businesses that are here now to see how they can supported, in addition to bringing in new business.

Andy Jefferson, has long-standing ties to Grafton and spent summers with his grandparents, who raised their children here. As a member of the Finance Committee, he’s delved into the school budget and the library building and planning committee. He’s worked in marketing and public relations.

Why he’s running: “Growth and change are inevitable and that is something the town will continue to do,” he said, adding that the town’s commitment to growth and fiscal accountability needs to include affordable housing.

On affordable housing: “I see housing as a critical need.” He says the town has seen rapid growth with the building of large homes, but many people now have the need to downsize.

On economic development: Since Grafton is not on Route 9, it needs to be creative in how it attracts business. The board needs to work with the Economic Development Commission on bringing in commercial growth.

Richard Whitney, a lifelong resident of Grafton, is a former state auctioneer, now retired. A current member of the Community Preservation Committee, he is an enthusiastic advocate for affordable housing and believes the town needs to study its master plan.

Why he’s running: “I got back into politics for one reason: we need help.”

On affordable housing: “In essence, affordable housing: We need it, we’re always going to need it, otherwise your kids might not be able to afford to live here.”

On economic development: The town needs to have “boots on the ground” to bring in new business.

The Grafton Town Election is May 17. Absentee ballots are now available in the Town Clerk’s officee.

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