Milford Elections 2013

Milford School Committee: Joseph Morais

Joseph Morais, a financial planner, is seeking election Tuesday to an open seat on the School Committee. Both he and incumbent Patrick Holland are running unopposed.

Editor's Note: Although the School Committee has no race this year, Milford Patch asked the two candidates for the two open seats to respond to a series of questions. The response of Joseph Morais follows. He is a financial planner conducting his first campaign for office. His response is edited only for grammar, punctuation and AP style. The response of Patrick Holland, the incumbent candidate, can be found here. Q: Why are you seeking this position? A: I am running for the school committee position to serve a community that has done so much for me and my family over the years. I have a daughter in the second grade and many family and friends with children in the Milford schools so I have a vested interest and believe that I can be a …

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Jonathan Bruce Withdraws from School Committee Race to Run for Treasurer

Jonathan Bruce withdrew his name from the ballot Thursday for School Committee. Instead, he will run for town Treasurer.

The race for Milford Treasurer has intensified, while the race for School Committee has disappeared. Jonathan Bruce on Thursday withdrew his name from the contest for School Committee, and pulled papers to run for town Treasurer instead. Bruce said in a phone interview he entered his name for School Committee when it became clear to him that committee member Paul Mazzuchelli would not seek re-election, and no one else seemed interested. At the time Bruce pulled the papers, Patrick Holland was seeking re-election to his seat, but no one else had stepped forward for the second open seat on the School Committee. That changed Monday, when Joseph Morais pulled papers to run for the School Committee. Bruce, 57, who described Morais as a strong …

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Third Candidate Makes a Race for Milford School Committee

Joe Morais, a Milford father and retirement planner, pulled papers Tuesday to run for School Committee.

A third candidate has taken out papers to run for Milford School Committee, creating the likelihood of a race for the two seats available. Joe Morais, who works in management for Putnam Investments of Boston, took out nomination papers Tuesday. Jonathan Bruce, a former School Committee chairman, has returned his papers already, as has Patrick Holland, an incumbent member and the current chairman. The election is April 2. Morais, 40, will be conducting a first contested race for elected office. He is a Town Meeting representative. Morais graduated from Milford High School in 1991 and then earned a business administration degree from Worcester State University. He has one daughter, a second-grader at Memorial Elementary School. Morais grew …

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Jonathan Bruce to Run for School Committee

The former Zoning Board of Appeals chairman took out nomination papers on Monday.

Jonathan Bruce, a former two-term School Committee member, has taken out nomination papers to run for a three-year term. The seven-member School Committee has two openings this year. Patrick Holland, the current chairman, has already taken out papers to run for his re-election. Paul Mazzuchelli, whose term expires this year, has not yet taken out papers and said last week he had not yet decided whether he would run again. Bruce was a longtime member of the town's appointed Zoning Board of Appeals, and served for many years as that panel's chairman, stepping down two years ago. He now serves on the town's Woodland Building Committee. In other election-related matters, Scott Vecchiola drew papers Monday to run for a seat on the Milford Board…

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Math Textbooks Ruined, Replaced at Milford High

A water line broke at Milford High School recently, causing $30,000 in damage to math textbooks.

As bad luck would have it, a water line broke at Milford High School recently, at a point above a stockpile of new textbooks. The math texts were ruined and had to be replaced, at a cost of about $31,000, said Kathleen Perry, the assistant superintendent for human resources and business operations. Milford High School Principal Michael Tempesta pulled the money from eight different accounts, Perry told School Committee members, including a small amount from the Target Corp., which distributes funds to schools selected by shoppers who use its credit and debit cards. The town is self-insured, so no insurance company could be billed for the damage without it coming from taxpayers eventually, School Committee Chairman Patrick Holland said, …

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Milford Schools to Revamp Security, Train Staff

Milford public schools will review and revise safety procedures, such as lockdowns, beginning in January, and by spring will provide additional training for staff in security efforts, including surviving a shooting.

Milford Schools will review all of its procedures related to school security beginning in January, and revisions may include providing remote-operated panic buttons to staff, expanding surveillance systems and changing lockdown procedures. The review of existing safety procedures will be taken up in January by a subcommittee, said Superintendent Robert Tremblay. By spring, he said, all staff will be trained in additional security steps that they can take to prevent and survive a school shooting. The professional development is a sad reality, he said, referring to the fatal shooting last week of 26 young children and staff at a Connecticut elementary school. "Never did I envision as a superintendent that we had to prepare ourselves for …

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Milford School Security Under Review

Milford officials are re-evaluating security at local schools, after 26 children and adults were fatally shot in a Connecticut elementary school.

As an immediate step to reassure parents, teachers and children, police were stationed in every school in Milford this week. Principals instituted new security measures, requiring school visitors to make appointments to see teachers or other personnel, and advance notice for parents to dismiss their children early. Locks and windows were checked on all classrooms, to make sure they function properly. What happens to improve school security following the Christmas break — which begins at the close of school Friday — is still being considered. Some of the measures taken this week could easily be continued, Superintendent Robert Tremblay said Monday, on the WBZ Radio Nightside program, including requiring people to make appointments before …

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Milfud

5:21 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I was thinking the same thing. Security Director seems like a valuable position about now.   more ›

AG's Office: Milford School Committee Violated Open Meeting Law

The Milford School Committee violated the state Open Meeting Law by not including a reference to the school system security director position on a May agenda. The position was eliminated in the May 10 meeting.

Editor's Note: the following is a Nov. 19 letter to Milford Town Counsel Gerald Moody from the state Attorney General's Office, and refers to an Open Meeting Law complaint filed with the state by former Milford Public Schools Security Director David Cutler. Cutler's position was eliminated by the School Committee in a May 10 meeting. The 4-3 committee vote was made in a public session that followed a closed session. The meeting agenda had no reference to a discussion of school security. The committee later voted to have a subcommittee review the need for the district security position, but by then, Cutler had found a new job. Contacted Thursday, School Committee Chairman Patrick Holland said he accepts responsibility for the Open Meeting …

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Students Scores on AP Exams Increased Under Axed Program

The Milford School Committee reviewed an analysis by school officials Thursday that showed passing scores on AP exams in math, science and English improved while the high school participated in the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative.

Did Milford students gain something from the school system participating in the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative? According to an analysis provided by school officials, students earned higher scores on Advanced Placement exams, and more students earned passing scores, which enables them to earn college credit. According to Superintendent Robert Tremblay: • The number of students earning the top scores on the AP exam – either a 4 or a 5 – increased from 74 to 94 on exams in math, science and English. • The number of students earning a passing score on the AP exam – a 3 or better – increased from 41 to 83 in math. • Milford High School had a 50 percent increase in low-income students taking AP exams in math, science and English. • …

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Mary MacDonald

7:43 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012

Or, better yet, maybe I should stop arguing online with the Little Engine that Could. Have a good night!   more ›

School Committee Restores Security Director Job

Milford School Committee members voted 5-2 Thursday to reverse a May 10 vote that eliminated the position of district security director. A two-man study committee will examine the position and security at all buildings, instead.

The position of Milford schools' security director is back in place. School Committee members voted 5-2 Thursday to strike their May 10 vote, which eliminated the position. The latest vote followed a tense period in which several members criticized each other for how they handled the original vote, or its aftermath. Reading from a statement, committee member Robert Lanzetta accused member Paul Mazzuchelli of "sensationalizing" the original decision, which eliminated the job of David Cutler. He said he would not be intimidated by "bullying" from other members, or by the threat of a lawsuit, in making decisions. Mazzuchelli, who said he had sworn at member Donald Quattrochio during discussion for the original vote, was the subject of a …

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