An alliance of two Gloucester Education Foundation members, Roger Garberg and Kathy Clancy, and first-term incumbent Val Gilman swept the first three-places in last night's School Committee race.
Clancy and Garberg become the newest members of the committee. Nancy Harrison of East Gloucester finished seventh in the race for six seats and is off the committee.
Gilman, the second-term incumbent from Revere Street, pulled in the most votes with 3,070, and her slate with Garberg and Clancy swept the top three spots. Garberg took second at 2,993 and Clancy polled 2,976.
Melissa Teixeira came in fourth with 2,731, Michelle Sweet grabbed the fifth spot with 2,571 and Amy-Beth Healey claimed the final spot with 2,494 votes, 265 more than Harrison.
"I am happy with the results," Gilman said at City Hall. "I felt that I campaigned pretty hard. I am really excited about teaching and learning now that we have stabilized the district."
As it was for the other races in yesterday's city election, the number of ballots cast in the School Committee vote was the lowest in the last two decades.
Sharing a prescription of increased accountability within the school system and greater advocacy for local education on the state and regional level, the Gilman, Garberg, Clancy slate defined the dynamic of the election.
"I am surprised that I did better than I expected," Clancy said. "I am excited about having access to officials at the state level."
Garberg, a consultant who failed in a bid for the committee two years ago, had said he thought the current members could have done more in last term.
Gilman had campaigned on increasing the committee's appetite for work and appetite for holding the superintendent of schools accountable for student achievement.
The sitting School Committee was unusually green, with four of the seven members in their first term.
Engaged in its traditional role of lobbying for education funding during a recession and general government contraction, the current School Committee saw itself distracted by a series of high-profile controversies, including the 2008 teenage pregnancy crisis and Gloucester Community Arts Charter School approval war.
All six of the candidates running this year had called for a renewed focus on teaching, learning and improving achievement a priority.
Patrick Anderson can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3455, or via e-mail at panderson@gloucestertimes.com
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