BANGOR, Maine — Two seats on Bangor’s school committee are up for re-election this year, with three contenders vying for them. Attempting to unseat one of the two incumbent candidates is Bangor High School senior Dawson Nevells, who feels being a student gives him a better picture of what the schools need.
Despite his youth, Nevells has found support in his community.
"My peers, my teachers, a lot of parents, they really think that I may be a different voice," Nevells said. "I have that advantage because the school committee members, some of them have kids in the schools, but they aren't in school every day like I am."
Nevells said he has been attending committee meetings for a year and, if elected, he hopes to put Bangor’s schools on track for updates.
"Bangor High School is no spring chicken," Nevells said, looking back at the redbrick building. "So, I believe we need to start looking at what we're going to do in the next 5-10 years as far as infrastructure goes."
Meanwhile, his opponent, Sara Luciano, hopes to continue the work she started three years ago. Luciano wants to continue expanding the health clinic system recently established in the city’s high school and middle schools.
"I would like to keep that momentum going," she said. "I'd like to see those programs expanded. I'd love to be able to get more counseling to our kids in school so that they don't have to leave or be disrupted."
Luciano also wants to bring back the academic bridge program with Bangor’s United Technology Center.
"I would really love us to do more with the bridge academies with UTC," Luciano said. "That opportunity would be to give our high school seniors and juniors a chance to graduate with a diploma from EMCC, so they would graduate with an associate’s degree along with their high school diploma."
The third and final candidate is Ben Sprague—a familiar name in Bangor politics with 12 years in local office. He wants Bangor City Schools to maintain its reputation.
"Academic excellence is really part of the DNA of this school," Sprague said. "That means we have to have the program, students and their families want the arts programs, the athletic programs, the music programs."
In another term, Sprague also wants to take a closer look at the role of technology in schools.
"I'm not an anti-technology guy," Sprague said. "But through the lens of the school committee, I think there are things we can do to start a conversation about whether kids should have cell phones in the classroom."
Polls are open in Bangor from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. For information on other local elections or polling hours, reach out to local officials.