Milford 2021 Candidate Profile: RJ Sheedy For School Committee

MILFORD, MA — There are five contested races in the 2021 Milford spring town election, but the race for School Committee is the most crowded field.

Five candidates — including incumbents Meghan Hornberger and Christopher Wilson — are vying for three seats. We sent each candidate in the race a candidate questionnaire to help voters get to know them better. Here's how challenger RJ Sheedy answered:

RJ Sheedy

Age (as of Election Day): 25
Position Sought: School Committee
Family: My parents are Jodi and Rob Sheedy, and I have one younger brother, Matthew.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Many members of my family have a history of serving the Town of Milford. That example of public service has guided me during my life, and helped me develop my own cause, concern, and commitment.
Education: I’ve studied Media and Communications at Worcester State University and I’m a Milford High School graduate.
Occupation: I am a proud union member with UFCW local 1445 currently working as an associate at Stop and Shop. I also spent a year as an Organizer and Union Representative with UFCW 1445 from 2019-2020.
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I currently serve as a town meeting member faithfully serving precinct 5, and I am currently the vice chair of the Milford Democratic Town Committee.
Campaign website: Facebook.com/rj4milford; Twitter.com/rj4milford; Instagram.com/rj4milford

Why are you seeking elective office?

In 2019 I lost a very close race, and I’m running again because I still have the care and commitment to serve the residents of Milford.

Upon reflection over the course of the past year, I knew the difficulties faced by our students and staff during a global pandemic was something that needed attention and leadership. My drive from 2019 never left me and I decided that I had something to offer now more than ever.
As a Town Meeting member, I see the School Committee as a natural next step in my commitment to service of our community.

As a young professional, without children in the district, I am well suited to evaluate the needs of the district in harmony with the interests of every resident and ALL children, without bias. As the Vice Chair of the Milford Democratic Town Committee I have been able to hone some leadership and organizing skills that I feel can be of service to our district. I hope to earn your trust and become a member of your school committee.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We have to get our students safely back into the classroom full time! The pandemic has negatively affected society as a whole, and nobody has felt these effects more than our children. We must get them back on track academically and socially as soon as we can. Our Teachers and Administration will need the full support of the School Committee as we return to the classroom full-time. We need a Committee that is completely focused on their role in helping our highly accomplished professionals ensure the success of our students. I know the role and I know the difficulties the pandemic has caused for so many.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The current committee make up is seven parents of school age children. All of my opponents in this race fit that same profile. If I’m elected to the School Committee, I would be the only member without any school age children in the district, or family members teaching or working at the schools. This is an important difference that will allow me to look objectively at the district as a whole to make decisions that are best for all of our students and staff.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Improving Post Secondary Options and Adding A Career Counselor - There are a significant number of students who are not on a college pathway. It’s imperative to serve the needs of all of our student body. As your next School Committee member, I will advocate for more investment in post-secondary programming, including a career counselor at Milford High. We owe this to our students.

We must address the significant deficiencies in our Facilities – Our school buildings are at maximum capacity, and some buildings critical mechanical systems are failing. The time is now to begin the next project in modernizing our school buildings. I expect our School District will submit a Statement of Interest to the state this spring, and hope that we will be accepted for Grant Funding to help subsidize a new school buildings project. If so, the real work will then begin. My experience as a Town Meeting Member has been invaluable, which will serve well for me to help lead the District through the process.

Our School Budget must represent our Community Values. It is time to put politics aside, for the School Committee to work collaboratively with the Finance Committee, and Finance Director, to fully fund programming and services that our students need. We must work overtime to close the significant gap on what Milford spends per pupil vs. the state average. The fact is, we have chosen to spend less on our students, than all neighboring and surrounding districts.