Local elections are right around the corner. This year, Mansfield voters can vote for three Mansfield Board of Education candidates and two Region 19 candidates.
Mansfield BOE serves Mansfield Elementary School and Mansfield Middle School. There are nine board members.
Democrats Haley Gross de Jimenez and Kristin Dilaj and Republican Gregory Cecil are competing for two, full-term (six years) seats. Democrat John Fratiello Jr. is running unopposed to fill a vacancy for four years. Fratiello and Cecil are the only incumbents running for reelection.
Jimenez is running for her first term on the board because she thinks public education is extremely valuable.
“I believe public education is not just foundational, but critical to an open and free society,” Jimenez said in an email statement. “Public schools have challenging years ahead between the shifting federal landscape and rising student mental health crises, and I want to assist Mansfield students, teachers, administrators and parents navigate those challenges.”
As a mother herself, Jimenez said she came to Mansfield in part because of “the wonderful schools.” She was drawn to the district’s values: “kindness, respect, responsibility and dedication to developing the whole child and global citizens.”
If elected, Jimenez’s priority is to support those values and help the school adapt to an ever-changing society.
“We can’t predict what the world will look like in five years, let alone 20,” she said. “Students leaving Mansfield schools need to be ready to engage with whatever future they encounter — able to learn new things, think independently, and participate meaningfully in their communities.”
Dilaj is running for her first term on the board as well. Dilaj hopes to strengthen the schools and pave the way for student success if elected.
“[Dilaj] is running for the Board of Education to bring fresh perspective, community values, and a focus on preparing students for the future,” according to her biography on the Mansfield Democrats website.
Cecil, the Republican incumbent, did not respond to requests for comment.
Fratiello is the Democratic incumbent. He is a retired teacher and principal with a 40-year career in education, according to the Mansfield Democrats website. He previously served as a Republican and Independent on the board in the 2010s, according to the website, but is now back running again, “focused on the future of Mansfield education.”
Region 19 serves E.O. Smith, the regional high school. The Region 19 board has 12 members: four from Ashford, four from Willington and four from Mansfield. This year, half of Mansfield’s Region 19 members are up for reelection.
The Region 19 candidates are democrats Greg Miller and Kathleen Tonry. Both are running unopposed for their first term on the board.
Miller, father to a recent E.O. Smith graduate and a current MMS student, is running because he wants to give back to the schools that he said gave his family so much.
“I believe deeply in public education and its power to transform lives,” he said. “At a time when divisions can feel impossible to bridge, I believe that we can still unite around supporting our children and the educators who help them grow.”
Miller is an editorial and fine arts photographer who has worked for major publications like The New Yorker, Esquire, NPR and TIME. His work can also be found in major collections like the Museum of the City of New York. He had been an instructor at the International Center of Photography since 1999, where he taught people of all backgrounds and ages, “from high school students to octogenarians,” something he said has been a great privilege.
“[W]ith over 25 years in education, I’ve learned that students thrive in environments where they feel safe, respected and inspired,” he said in an email statement.
Miller’s plans in office include supporting educators, advancing equity, listening and fostering respectful dialogue and supporting continued success for students and the community.
“My approach centers on listening, collaboration and supporting what works,” he said. “I’m a proud supporter of our dedicated teachers and staff, who have had such a profound impact on our daughters’ lives and the lives of countless students in our community.”
Similarly, Tonry is the mother of a recent E.O. Smith graduate and two MMS students. She is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut English Department. As a board member, Tonry hopes to rebuild and strengthen connections between E.O. Smith and UConn, as they are grappling with some of the same issues.
“I currently serve as a parent representative on the AI planning team [at the high school],” she said. “So, for high schools, there are these really big questions, like how much students use AI and what is AI literacy anyway? How does it shape us as learners? How do students today need to prepare for an AI driven world? And all those questions are also being asked literally right across the street at UConn, and so we can do some thinking together around that.”
She said both schools are grappling with equity, and how it can be addressed in the culture and curriculums at the schools, particularly in history, civics and fine arts classes. Tonry said that high schools are the place where students become citizens. She said that E.O. Smith is in the midst of an important moment.
“I’m running for the BOE because this moment is crucial for E. O. Smith in terms of policy, teacher retention and the shape of student learning,” Tonry said. “I believe District 19 needs a strong advocate for teacher-centered governance; policies that are driven by classroom experiences and student needs; and leadership that is transparent and responsive to the concerns of our community.”
Tonry also emphasized the importance of UConn student involvement in the election. Even if students think they shouldn’t be involved because they aren’t from Mansfield, it is important to learn about local politics and elections.
“UConn students have this chance to learn about and be involved in politics… at the local level. And hopefully, when you graduate, you’ll stay in Connecticut, bring your kind of skills and smarts to contribute to your local communities. And this is a way to figure out how that works,” she said. “You’re all welcome to come to local board meetings and zoning and planning commission meetings, all of that. So it’s a chance to walk out of a really academic environment right into local politics and see what’s happening and how it all works.”
Mansfield residents and UConn students not yet registered to vote can do so online at voterregistration.ct.gov.
Early voting locations are open from now until Nov. 2. There are two locations: Mansfield Town Hall at 4 S. Eagleville Road and the UConn Bookstore at 2075 Hillside Road. Locations are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Oct. 30, they will be open for extended hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To vote in-person on election day, voters can go to one of four voting locations: Mansfield Community Center at 10 S. Eagleville Road, Mansfield Middle School gymnasium at 205 Spring Hill Road, Mansfield Public Library Buchanan Auditorium at 54 Warrenville Road and Annie E. Vinton School at 306 Stafford Road. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.