Furtado Qualifies for the Ballot

School Committee member Brenda Furtado, who represents Ward 4, was certified for the fall ballot this week after submitting her nomination papers along with at least 50 signatures from Attleboro voters. She is the first person to qualify for a school committee race.

Furtado is serving her second term on the committee. Three others—Kristina Piasecki, Diane Lynch-Bartek and Lori Scales—have pulled papers for the Ward 4 contest. Political insiders say only Scales is expected to return them and challenge Furtado.

"I am extremely excited and look forward to continuing to represent Ward 4 on the Attleboro School Committee," wrote Furtado in an email to Attleboro Patch. "I will continue representing the parents and community with honesty and transparency. My focus has and will remain on educating our children to be well-rounded individuals. I have always and will continue to believe this is not my school committee, this is OUR school committee and together we ARE making a difference."

The preliminary election (if needed) will take place Sept. 17. The regular election will take place Nov. 5. 

Potential candidates have until July 30 to submit nomination papers to City Hall. The following people have pulled papers for the school committee contests:

At large (top three vote-getters win seats): David Murphy, Jim Stors*, Marian Crisafulli, Barbara Craw, Nancy Lamothe, Stacey Haven and Sarah Curtis

Ward 1: Shawn Moran

Ward 2: Bill Larson and Jim Stors

Ward 3: Chris O'Neil, Jessica Bessell and Stephen K. Withers Jr.

Ward 4: Brenda Furtado (certified for election), Kristina Piasecki, Diane Lynch-Bartek and Lori Scales

Ward 5: Laura Dolan and Nancy Lamothe

Ward 6: Stacey Haven

*People who have pulled papers for more than one contest will have to choose which one to enter. A candidate cannot run for a ward seat and at-large position at the same time.