From PACT (People Acting for Change Together) at Kendal at Hanover, which formed to help their neighbors understand school board elections:

Voting—your participation—sends a message about your priorities for public education. Not Voting sends the message that decisions about public education can be made by the few. PACT has asked the candidates, Benjamin Keeney and Carrie Russell, to respond to two questions:

Why are you running for the Hanover School Board? What do you hope to accomplish in your tenure as a School Board member? What is the current School Board doing well? What, if anything, are you running to change?

Benjamin Keeney. I first joined the School Boards in 2019. I wanted to learn about (and learn from) the intricacies of where our tax dollars go and whether they are used as responsibly as possible, sustaining the amazing experience (and reputation) that the schools provide our kids, and yet improving the schools even further. I serve at the discretion of Hanover residents and will do the best I can to adhere to the requirements, responsibilities, continuing improvements, and ethics that Hanover desires of its elected officials.

Since joining, I have become Chair of the Hanover School Board and Chair of the Policy Committee, and am also a member of the Strategic Planning, Evaluation, Wellness, Four Chairs, Teacher Negotiations, Support Staff Negotiations, Service Staff Negotiations, Costing Out, and Middle School Sports committees. These roles allow me to see the immense amount of varied work involved. I am happy to report that I was and am continually impressed beyond all doubt in the SAU70 administration, the school principals, the teachers, other staff, and other Board members. That said, there are things I want to continue improving if selected again by Hanover voters:

• Helping the school districts thread the needle through these politically and fiscally uncertain times.
• Ensuring that all students feel welcome, safe, and included in their respective schools.
• Implementing athletics and other extracurricular programs at Richmond Middle School.
• Retaining our amazing teachers and other staff and recruiting excellent new hires.
• Sustaining our strong academics, cultures, physical facilities, and environments.

Carrie Russell. I am running for school board to actively contribute to my community. Professionally, I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and I have worked in various school roles for nearly twenty years. I am currently the District Social Worker in a neighboring school district. My professional perspective and mental health expertise are vital to the public education conversation.  I also have two young children who will matriculate through SAU 70. I believe the current school board is doing well by bringing into focus the issue of sports at the middle school level and exploring AP classes at the high school level.