EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow School Committee is accepting submissions for letters of interest toward an open position on the committee, following the resignation of member Kathleen Leydon.
The town is accepting submissions until 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9. Interested residents should send letters to the Clerk of the Council Jeanne Quaglietti by email at jeanne.quaglietti@eastlongmeadowma.gov or by mail at 60 Center Square, East Longmeadow, MA 01028, she said. Letters can also be dropped off in-person.
The selected candidate will be appointed jointly by the Town Council and School Committee during a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10 with a term of approximately nine months until the next town election on June 3, 2025, School Committee Chair Greg Thompson told Reminder Publishing.
If the candidate is then elected in June, they would remain on the committee for an additional year to finish Leydon’s original three-year term. At the term’s conclusion, the candidate would then have the opportunity to be reelected for a full three-year term in the next election, Thompson said.
This process is in accordance with section 4-3 of the Town Charter, Quaglietti stated.
At the time of her resignation, Leydon was serving the second year of her first term on the School Committee, Thompson explained. He noted that she resigned due to “personal and professional reasons” and the resignation was effective immediately.
Leydon was elected to the School Committee in the June 6, 2023, election, winning 512 of 1,410 votes, according to the official town election results.
The joint School Committee and Town Council meeting will take place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10 ahead of the Town Council’s regularly scheduled meeting, Thompson stated. After candidates are reviewed, the joint committees are expected to select a candidate at the same meeting.
To be eligible for the School Committee position, candidates must be a registered voter in East Longmeadow, Thompson said.
Responsibilities for School Committee members include the East Longmeadow Public Schools’ budget and policies. The committee typically meets twice a month at 5 p.m. on Monday, which all members attend, Thompson stated. In addition to the main committee, each member is also a part of at least one subcommittee, which meets once or twice a month depending on the schedules of its members.
East Longmeadow Public Schools’ mission is to “promote achievement and accountability in all endeavors as we educate today for the challenges of tomorrow,” as stated by the School Department.
Thompson encouraged residents to submit letters of interest for the position, emphasizing the positive impact of the School Committee as well as the valuable experience for its members.
Interested residents can reach out to Thompson by email for any questions about the open position. His email is greg.thompson@eastlongmeadowma.gov. Additional information about the School Committee as well as the committee’s calendar of meetings is also available on the town website at eastlongmeadowma.gov/314/School-Committee.
The East Longmeadow School Committee is expected to meet next on Sept. 9 with its second monthly meeting scheduled for Sept. 23.
