Hardy Parent Joins Race for School Committee

A parent is officially in the race for  and wants to represent the East Arlington community.

Jim Flanagan, of Trowbridge Street, on Tuesday returned his signatures to the Town Clerk, officially entering the race and reserving a spot on the ballot for this year's election.

"Currently, we don’t have any East Arlington parents of the committee," Flanagan said. "As we deal with the , redistricting and address capacity issues at the , it would do a great service to the community to have a parent from East Arlington."

Flanagan pointed out that several of the current committee members have professional experience in education and law, with a few having worked in budget evaluation.

He added he would to bring an extensive background in mass communication and management and evaluation of projects and staff.

Flanagan, who works in IT management, oversees a few different teams in a department that supports more than 2,000 users. "Communicating with those users is a primary part of what I do," he said.

That background, Flanagan added, could be useful as the School Committee works to hire a special education director and an assistant superintendent, both slated to get underway this year.

"I think I can be of great help in that area," he said.

Flanagan lives in East Arlington with his wife Joanne. He has three children: Lorelai, 8, a second-grade student at Hardy; Will, 6, a kindergartener at Hardy; and Emma, 3.

School Committee Chair Cindy Starks and member Jeff Thielman are both up for re-election this year. Along with Starks and Thielman, four other town residents have taken out papers to run for the committee: Gregory Brogan, of Melrose Street; , of Woodside Lane; , of Winchester Road; and Ian Jackson, of Highland Avenue.