Kate Duggan, RMS School Committee Member

Another of my priorities for the next three years should I be re-elected is to double down on my advocacy at the state level for reforms to Chapter 70, Circuit Breaker, and Rural Aid. Small, rural districts like Rochester are structurally disadvantaged by state funding formulas that don't account for our inability to absorb sudden cost spikes and that under-calculate our operating costs. I’ve learned a lot the past few years about which legislative committees have power over which aspects of school funding and governance, where to go for data and information, and I have forged a direct line to decision makers. I will apply what I have learned and the relationships I have built across the state to push for systemic change: increase Circuit Breaker reimbursement rates and speed up payments; restore and fully fund Rural Aid at the $60 million level our own Legislative Commission determined was necessary; and revise Chapter 70 formulas so that small towns aren't penalized for circumstances beyond their control. In collaboration with my colleagues on the Rural Schools Committee, I will keep delivering the message to Beacon Hill that Rochester students deserve the same opportunities as children in big cities or wealthy suburbs.

🗳️ Election Day is Wednesday, 5/27! 🗳️Polls will be open at the Rochester Council on Aging from 8 am - 8 pm. Make your plan to get there now - if you need a ride please feel free to reach out.

Early voting will run from 8:45 am - 12:45 pm M-F the week of 5/18, so Friday 5/22 is the last day to vote early at the Town Hall Conference Room.

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Another of my priorities for the next three years should I be re-elected is to continue to invite students to share their learning at School Committee meetings. Since becoming School Committee chair, I've made it a priority to invite students to present their work, share their experiences, and show us what they're learning in our classrooms. These presentations remind us why we do this work—not for budget lines or policy documents, but for the children whose lives we are shaping. Hearing directly from students about their academics or their community service keeps their voices and achievements at the center of our decision-making. It also gives students valuable experience in public speaking and civic engagement. I will continue this practice because students deserve to be seen and celebrated, and because we make better decisions when we remember who we're serving.