Meet School Committee Ward 5 Candidate: Laura Dolan

Name: Laura Dolan

Seat: Ward 5 School Committee

Education: Attleboro Public Schools, Rhode Island School of Photography

Attleboro native Laura Dolan is running for a spot on the Attleboro School Committee for the first time this year. She will be running for the Ward 5 seat against long-time School Committee Member Frances Zito.

Dolan is a life-long resident of Attleboro and received her education through the public school system before continuing on at the Rhode Island School of Photography. Dolan now has a son in the district.

Dolan said her decision to run for a seat was a last-minute decision, but something she had been pondering for some time.

“I was looking for something to get more involved with my son’s school,” Dolan said. “It’s important to have a voice in your community.”

Offerings

Dolan is no stranger to seeing to the needs of parents and children. She had previously been a member of the board of the Attleboro Council for Children for four years where she worked to organize events such as the popular North Attleborough Fire Fighters's and , which is a yearly gift drive for needy children.

Liz Cochrane, who worked with Dolan on Council for Children, gives her credit for her work in getting donations to make the Kids Day event possible as well as her work in ensuring that Christmas is for Kids went smoothly every year.

“She’s a very hard-working person and will do anything for the best interests of Attleboro’s children,” Cochrane said.

Dolan’s time on the Council for Children provided her with the necessary skills needed of a member of the School Committee, which includes organization and knowing how to work with others as a team to get the job done.

Dolan has a son in the second grade said she is aware of the many concerns parents have with the district and the things that are important to them.

“I’m coming into this election as a mom who grew up here and was raised here," she said."I’m concerned about my child’s education as well as my community as a whole."

Issues That Matter

A key issue that faced the school committee this past year was the debate over the district’s full-time kindergarten lottery. Many parents desire full-time kindergarten to be available for all children in the district or an alternative system to the lottery be offered.

Dolan believes that is something that needs to be discussed further and resolved.

“People are unhappy and that needs to be addressed,” Dolan said.

Additionally, the past year saw instances where communication between the committee, the Superintendent and the parents was lacking. As well as the occasional heated discussion among the committee members.

Dolan understands how the discussions at meetings can sometimes become tense. “When you have people who are passionate, things can get heated, but everyone is there for the same reason–the kids."

The candidate went on to say that she believes that communication with the parents is “extremely important” and parents have a right to know everything that is going on with the committee and the district.

Check back each Tuesday for a look at someone new in the Candidate's Corner.