By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Incumbents Sharon Menegoni and Karla Swanson-Murphy will seek re-election to the SAD 61 Board of Directors as Bridgton representatives, while Kim Bueler is challenging for one of two, three-year terms.

Bridgton’s election is set for Tuesday, June 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town hall on North High Street. A

The News posed the following questions to the candidates, whose responses are arranged by alphabetical order:

Q. Why did you decide to run for office?

Bueler: I decided to run for the School Board because I want to have a part in helping our kids have the best education possible. I have two graduates currently, one from Lake Region. I have a son due to graduate this month. I’ve seen great things being done for our kids and I want to contribute to that. I’m honored to be a part of such a great community and I want to give back to it. 

Menegoni:  I grew up in a small town where the spirit and sense of community was paramount. Having been involved in education as a student, teacher, and professor for 50 years, I want to be able to, depending on one’s perspective, give back, or pay it forward. Over the years, I have been fortunate to have many people help me gain success in attaining my professional goals and I want to be able to do that for the students of the district.

Swanson-Murphy: I want to improve the education we offer to our community’s students while at the same time being fiscally conservative and mindful of our taxpayers’ financial burdens.

Q. What strengths do you feel you would bring to the position?

Bueler: I genuinely care about our students and want each one of them to be able to reach their full potential.

Menegoni: I think that my background growing up in a small town and attending small public schools coupled with vast professional experiences in public education and higher education literally across the country make it possible for me to provide diverse perspectives on issues. 

Organization and leadership are also two of my strengths. Over the years, I have learned much about how to direct meetings and work with committees, which are key to holding a position such as this.

Swanson-Murphy: I have knowledge of our community and our schools including the diversity of our community.  I bring a parent perspective to the board, which combines well with my business background and understanding of complex budgets.  

Q. When faced with difficult decisions, what is your approach?

Bueler: I try to have an open mind and have all the facts before I make a decision.

Menegoni: When faced with a difficult decision, the first step is to gather all the information or evidence available. This information or evidence should be reviewed and weighed on the positive and/or negative influence it has on the situation or topic at hand. This information should also include input from all involved or impacted parties when appropriate and possible. Once all information is gathered then comes the sorting relative to the advantages and disadvantages of the decision outcome.

Swanson-Murphy: I approach all school board decisions weighing what is best for our students and staff. The most difficult decisions are when these interests may appear to conflict, however, what is best for our students and setting them up for success after graduation is paramount. 

Q. Name three major concerns you have regarding the school system, explain and possible solutions?

Bueler: In all honesty, I don’t have “major” concerns. I just want to help whenever I can should any arise. Solutions to situations, in my opinion, are handled best with patience and understanding.

Menegoni: Hiring and retaining good teachers and staff. This is an area where I think the current School Administration and Board have done a good job over the last couple of years. Since I have been involved with the Board, we have made great hires of teachers and staff who genuinely care about the students and love teaching. The SAD 61 towns must understand the importance of supporting the educational mission through yearly appropriations in order to retain top-notch people.

• Creating a strong school-community relationship. Many local people, unless they have a child in the school system, are unaware of the many events that are put on and open to the public by the schools during each year (other than the COVID year). I would like to see the school district develop and maintain a community outreach web page where members of the local communities can find information regarding upcoming events such as athletic contests, concerts, and plays, to name a few. Bringing the schools and the community closer together can only have a positive outcome.

Swanson-Murphy: I think the most pressing concern is the lost education caused by the pandemic over the last year. The focus for the next two years should be supporting our students academically and socially to help them gain the skills required to maintain their pre-pandemic track. The solutions require many strategies and vary by grade level. We need to use the government funds wisely to maximize the impact. The most impactful plan requires creating individual plans for each student to provide them the resources to move forward and accelerate that movement if needed.

• Our student population is diverse in their needs for resources primarily driven by varying economic stability of their homes. The educational approach requires resources to create a more level playing field for all of our students to be successful. The solution is complex and again requires individual assessment and supports.

• We need an approach to our budget that provides the resources required to serve the needs of our students but also is as fiscally responsible to our taxpayers as possible. A needs-based budget determined by focusing on student outcomes is a solution to maintaining this balance.  

Q. Finally, if a person was to ask, “Why should I vote for you?” how would you answer?

Bueler: I want to help make a positive difference in our community. My hope is to help contribute to our already amazing community. I want to help our kids have the best experience they can as they truly deserve nothing less.

Menegoni: Having been involved in some facet of education for my entire life, I still get excited when I see students achieve their goals. I love the look on their faces when they are acknowledged for their accomplishments. I wish to continue to be able to contribute to the success of each student in whatever way I can. Serving as a Director on the School Board for SAD 61 allows me to continue to make a difference for students.

Swanson-Murphy: I care about our community and all of our residents. As I have demonstrated during my time on the board, I will continue to balance fiscal conservatism with support and effective programs for our students. I will listen and make well-informed decisions to help our students achieve their goals while keeping the budget increases as minimal as possible.