With the April 13 town election approaching, Sturbridge voters will choose two candidates for School Committee from a field of three: Mary Bridget Burns, Amanda Hellyar, and Whitney Goodwin.

The Town Minute reached out to candidates directly and sent them all six questions — three shared across every contested race, and three specific to the School Committee. All three candidates responded.

Know someone still deciding? Forward this edition to them before Monday’s (4/13) election.

📅 Polls are open Monday, April 13 from 6:30am–8pm at the Host Hotel, Sturbridge. Add to Google Calendar

Q1. Why are you running, and what perspective would you bring to this role?

I am running for re-election to the Sturbridge School Committee because I deeply believe in public service and want to contribute to the continuing success of our schools and community. As I tell my own children, find a way to serve. I understand how important it is to find a way to share your talents, time, and treasure for the betterment of your community.

I am running for re-election to continue serving Sturbridge in a way that uses my professional experience, academic training, and understanding of school needs. I bring the perspective of someone who was attending the school committee meetings long before I ran for office. I bring the perspective of someone who was contracted by the Commonwealth to conduct audits of school districts for mandated district reviews. I know how a school district should work and I have held school districts to the standards set by the state. 

I also bring the perspective of someone who is completely independent of the legislative process and state budgeting process. My day job in no way impacts my ability to serve as an independent person. I bring the perspective of a taxpayer who has questions and concerns that many of my constituents also hold.

Q2. What are your top priorities if elected?

As I stated during the town Meet the Candidate Night, I am running for three reasons.

First, I want to improve communication between the Committee and the residents, something which propelled me to run in the first place. It is too difficult to find agendas and understand what is being considered. I am a public servant and it is my duty to provide access to all information about the School Committee.

Second, I am running to be an advocate for Sturbridge and I do so by serving on the Massachusetts Associate of School Committees' Rural Schools Committee. I am honored to be part of this committee and to raise Sturbridge's needs to the state level. I want to continue advocating for Sturbridge through my role on the School Committee.

Third, I am running to apply my extensive experience as a former elementary teacher, a former education policy professional, and current university program administrator to this role. I am experienced in reviewing policy documents, financial statements, and procedural plans, and I come to them with a key eye on Sturbridge residents' needs. In my second term, I would continue the same level of professionalism and discernment.

Q3. What do you see as one of the more important decisions the town will face in the next few years?

I think Sturbridge will need to find ways to balance its financial needs with a limited tax base and a complex economy. I think small business, engaged citizens, and unique offerings will continue to propel Sturbridge forward to a prosperous future, but the elementary school and Tantasqua junior high and high school will need to be fully supported in order to achieve that future.

I truly believe we as a community will come together with a shared vision to accomplish these hard things, with good humor and a shared commitment.

Q4. What do you think is the School Committee’s most important job right now?

The most important task before the Sturbridge School Committee is ensuring our budget is balanced, provides at least level services, and is utilizing excellent stewardship to ensure tax dollars are used wisely.

Across the Commonwealth, school districts have to make personnel cuts and program cuts because the funds are not available. Since there does not seem to be political will in the State House to increase Chapter 70 funding sufficiently and because rural districts like Sturbridge are not receiving the funds we are entitled to, we on the School Committee need to make sure the district proposes budgets and makes financial decisions that protect our children's futures.

Q5. If school funding becomes tighter over the next few years, what should the committee work hardest to protect, and where would you be more open to making adjustments?

Our funding is already tight and is absolutely going to get tighter. We are already protecting staffing levels, programming, and materials. We have made adjustments to plans for future large purchases and I will advocate for the Committee to continue doing so.

The Burgess PTO has made a significant contribution to the school's offerings, and offsetting costs through fundraising and activities. The Tantasqua Education Foundation (TED) has also made important and lasting financial offerings to the school through its grants to teachers. Businesses that donate to Burgess activities are also critical partners in these efforts.

We as a community are able to provide a strong and positive schooling environment because of community involvement and community financial contributions. These enable us on the School Committee to make decisions with less urgency. I would like to see adequate Chapter 70 funding and correct rural funding, but we are making do and will have to continue to do so over the next few years.

Q6. What is one practical change you would support to make school budgets, decisions, or priorities easier for parents and residents to follow?

I post the agendas for all meetings on my school committee Facebook page and will continue posting if elected to a second term. I post videos and statements on social media so all who are interested know what is going to happen before the meetings take place.

Going forward, I would encourage our chair and Town Clerk to post these agendas in a more prominent area of the town website as well as the school district webpage if at all possible. Transparency is essential for good governance.

Q1. Why are you running, and what perspective would you bring to this role?

I am running for the Sturbridge School Committee because I bring a unique duality, being both a seasoned educator and a parent with "skin in the game."

My career has taken me from teaching in South Louisiana to Springfield, and most recently, at Tantasqua High School. These diverse experiences have instilled in me a deep sense of cultural competence. I understand that to represent a community effectively, you must understand the core values of students, teachers, and staff, and use that insight to drive individualized success.

I am a parent to two young boys who will soon walk through the doors of Burgess. I want what every guardian wants: a system that prepares our children to succeed with confidence in the real world. With a Master of Public Administration and active experience navigating municipal and state government, I understand the ever-changing intersection of local leadership and state policy. I have the professional experience to navigate complex school governance and the personal investment to care deeply about the outcome.

Q2. What are your top priorities if elected?

My platform is built on three pillars designed to ensure excellence and equity:

Protecting the Classroom Experience: Small class sizes are the engine of success. Having taught 5th-12th grade special education and regular education, I know that manageable ratios allow every student to be truly known. Having recently participated in Read Across America to a class size of 17 at Burgess, I was reminded that great student outcomes come with preserving this vital individual attention.

A Balanced and Sustainable Budget: As a "Minimum Aid" district receiving only $150 per pupil in new state aid, we must be methodical about funding allocations. It is vital to have committee members who understand the current gaps in Circuit Breaker and Rural Aid funding, and can think critically and creatively to ensure quality education and services.

True Inclusion ("All Means All"): Inclusion isn’t a line item; it is a commitment. As a former special education teacher, I want every special education family to feel supported rather than viewed as a "cost" to be managed. This means an education that works for every learner, from the classroom to the playground.

Q3. What do you see as one of the more important decisions the town will face in the next few years?

Because Burgess receives minimal per-pupil state aid and no direct Rural School Aid, the town will have to make difficult choices regarding long-term budget sustainability.

We must decide to be proactive rather than reactive—seeking out alternative funding streams. Additionally, we must advocate for formula reforms that recognize the unique needs of rural districts that do not receive Rural School Aid funding. Sturbridge is the only elementary school in the Tantasqua School District that does not receive this funding at the elementary level.

Q4. What do you think is the School Committee’s most important job right now?

The School Committee’s most important job is to serve as the bridge between the community’s values and the district’s policy. Right now, that means ensuring stability and transparency as we navigate post-pandemic educational shifts and budgetary constraints.

As a former teacher at Tantasqua, I know that policy feels very different on the "front lines" than it does on paper. The Committee must provide rigorous oversight of the budget while simultaneously acting as a vocal advocate for the needs of our educators and students. We need to ensure that our strategic goals—whether they concern curriculum updates or facilities management—are clearly communicated and fiscally grounded.

Q5. If school funding becomes tighter over the next few years, what should the committee work hardest to protect, and where would you be more open to making adjustments?

If faced with tightening budgets, we must protect the classroom core: our teachers and the small class sizes that define the Burgess experience. We cannot compromise on direct services that impact student growth and safety, particularly in special education and mental health support. "All Means All" requires that we maintain the integrity of our inclusive environments even during lean years.

Before eliminating teachers or service providers, I would lead the committee in exploring operational efficiencies, including:

Aggressive Grant Seeking: Actively pursuing grants to fund new initiatives and supplemental programs.

Joint Procurement: Collaborating with other district elementary schools to leverage bulk purchasing power for supplies and services (i.e., lean into others' rural aid funding).

My goal is to keep any necessary adjustments as far away from the student-teacher interaction as possible.

Q6. What is one practical change you would support to make school budgets, decisions, or priorities easier for parents and residents to follow?

I would support the creation of a centralized, official School Committee resource page for all updates, rather than relying on the individual social media accounts of committee members to be the voice of the board.

A single, streamlined source of truth ensures that communication remains cohesive, trusted, and transparent for all families. This approach allows for an easy transfer of information when the committee transitions members and provides the community with a consistent, searchable history of decisions and priorities.

By professionalizing our digital outreach, we can move away from fragmented updates and toward a model of clear, accessible governance. When guardians know exactly where to go for the "why" behind a budget vote or a policy change, it fosters a stronger sense of partnership between the school system and the residents it serves.

Q1. Why are you running, and what perspective would you bring to this role?

I am running for Burgess School Committee because I believe that early childhood education builds a foundation for future success. It is very important to me to help support our administration and ensure that they have the resources they need to build a strong and equitable learning environment for all students.

As the current Guidance Counselor Department Head at Worcester Technical High School and someone who has worked in education for over 15 years, I bring first hand knowledge and practical experience to our Burgess School Committee. I understand the needs of our administrators, students and value collaboration and communication.

I also recognize the importance of responsible budgeting at both the town and school level. I am committed to advocating for budget that supports student needs while being mindful of the community's needs and resources.

Q2. What are your top priorities if elected?

Q3. What do you see as one of the more important decisions the town will face in the next few years?

Our town will face two issues regarding Burgess Elementary School: school enrollment trends and budget constraints.

Like other communities in our state, we are dealing with uncertainties of state and federal funding which makes long term planning challenging. We will need to monitor how we allocate our funding to maintain strong education outcomes while supporting a responsible budget.

I bring first hand knowledge of funding sources and can identify opportunities for education opportunities, which can support our school during difficult decisions.

Q4. What do you think is the School Committee’s most important job right now?

Our biggest responsibility as the school committee is to ensure that the Superintendent is reaching the set goals and visions of the district.

It is also important that we review and vote for a responsible budget that supports student needs while understanding the community’s resources.

Q5. If school funding becomes tighter over the next few years, what should the committee work hardest to protect, and where would you be more open to making adjustments?

I believe that a strong and equitable curriculum is the most important thing we need to support if funding becomes tighter.

That work starts with making sure teachers have access to high quality curriculum and they are trained to deliver the curriculum to all students. Education is a very strong draw for Sturbridge, we would need to seriously consider reduced funding if we want to attract more families to Sturbridge.

Q6. What is one practical change you would support to make school budgets, decisions, or priorities easier for parents and residents to follow?

I would encourage parents to ask questions and make sure they are at town meetings to vote. Also, budget discussions can become very technical. It is important to make connections from our budget to the vision and goals of the districts.

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📅 Polls are open Monday, April 13 from 6:30am–8pm at the Host Hotel, Sturbridge. Add to Google Calendar

The Town Minute is an independent publication not affiliated with the Town of Sturbridge or any municipal office. Candidate responses are published in full and without edits. Where a candidate did not submit responses, any included public statement is clearly labeled.