Ruth Kennedy, Russell Candidate for Gateway Regional School Committee.
Ruth Kennedy is running for the Gateway Regional School Committee as a representative from Russell. She previously served for six years on the School Committee as an appointed and elected member from 2010 to 2016.
Originally from Agawam, Kennedy has lived in Russell since 1993, and has had three grandchildren in the Gateway School System. She served in the U.S. Air Force, and is a past Commander of the American Legion, Post 338 in Southwick. She attended both Springfield Technical Community College and Western New England University, before leaving to take care of her children. She is a disabled veteran, and retired from Kmart.
Kennedy said she was nominated for the School Committee at the Russell caucus and accepted. “There is a lot happening at the school right now. I’ve been active on both the Russell Finance Committee and at the facilitated regional discussions led by the Massachusetts Association of Retired Superintendents (MARS),” Kennedy said this week.
Kennedy is running in a contested race for the School Committee seat against Russell resident Sarah Page. The election is on Monday, June 4. Below is her candidate’s statement:
I, Ruth Kennedy, am a candidate for the Gateway School Committee. I have the qualifications and education. I was on the School Committee for six years. I have gone to many classes to learn how to be a committee person. I have been to three School Committee and Superintendents Conferences where I mingled with, and learned from, many state officials and other school committee members and superintendents. I brought back with me as much information as I could share.
This is a critical time for the district and our towns. We need someone who has been in the trenches. I have, and I will still go to the Select Board and Finance Committee meetings, as well as meetings with the other five towns, which also includes many other school districts.
I have the time and the interest to go to meetings at the school and will keep the Russell officials apprised. I will continue to reach out statewide.
In Russell, we were led to believe our school could be used for the new Pre-K program. That is not an option any more. So, our school once again sits empty after this June.
Gateway seems to have the funds for this year, for the Pre-K, and which could be as much as $250,000. What about next year? Who pays and where does the money come from?
Russell is up over $138,000 with the new assessment method, plus the increase of $78,000 for VOC. These two figures could increase our taxes by $0.90.
