Laura Often announces plans to run for School Committee re-election

Laura Often has announced her intent to run again for The Grafton School Committee. The current Chair is in her 7th year on the committee and is dedicated to student achievement – both academically and emotionally in the public schools.

During her time on the committee, Often has served as Chair three times, Vice-Chair twice, as well as serving on the Policy, Later Start Time, Wellness and Budget subcommittees. While on the committee, she has advocated for more equity among students, worked to increase communications to stakeholders, supported social emotional learning, and advocated for school funding.

I’m proud of the work that we have accomplished over the years such as increasing communication, creating more equitable policies, and navigating through several difficult budget seasons,” said Ms. Often. “We are in the middle of one of the most challenging years I have ever seen, and I know that there is more work to be done as we work to bring our students back into the buildings and assess their current educational needs. We need to continue to make sure that we reach all students. In addition, we need to ensure that we are spending wisely and are able to continue to grow our school district’s offerings. I’m ready to continue this difficult work with my fellow committee members, the district leadership team, our teachers and our amazing school community.”

Often has been a dedicated volunteer to The Town of Grafton for over a decade since she chaired the Superintendent Search Committee in 2011. She also served as the North Grafton Parent Teacher Group co-president, and remained an active volunteer throughout her children’s elementary school education. She chaired enrichment programs for grades 1-6, co-chaired book fair, hosted the annual holiday breakfast and ran the popular Walking Wednesday program at North Grafton Elementary school. She also served on the Apple Tree Arts board of directors for seven years and managed the capital campaign that revitalized the Grafton Town House. In her spare time, she was a Girl Scout leader for seven years. Often has lived in Grafton for nineteen years with her husband, Mathew and her two children who both attend Grafton Public Schools.

Often is the communications manager for the Franklin Food Pantry, where she handles all communications for the busy pantry. She is also the current recipient of one of the Commonwealth Heroine of the Year awards for 2020-2021 for her work on the Grafton School Committee and in fighting food insecurity. She serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for Massachusetts Association of School Committees for division IV. For more information follow her on www.facebook.com/voteoften