Two on Raymond ballot for RSU 14 board seat

By Dina Mendros

Susan Accardi and Diana Froisland, both of Raymond, will face off for the RSU 14 Board of Directors vacancy on June 10.

Susan Accardi, left, and Diana Froisland will be on the
ballot for the RSU 14 seat representing Raymond on
June 10. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

The position is a three-year term. Candidates told The Windham Eagle what they think about student test scores, Title lX, and their thoughts on other important issues facing the school district.

Susan Accardi, 76, is divorced and has two adult children. She is a retired BSN registered nurse and served as a school nurse with RSU 14. She has served on the Raymond Budget-Finance Committee for two terms, on various short-term town committees, as a ballot clerk and sits on the board of the Friends of the Raymond Village Library.

Regarding student test scores, Accardi said, “Tests are one of many indicators of student progress. Indicators for poor performance are many, some not within the power of schools to address. Chronic absenteeism is one of the best-known indicators of school performance. Schools need resourced staff for early identification followed by intervention and an appropriate learning environment to fully support these children.”

RSU 14 follows all federal and state laws regarding Title lX and has school policies addressing those laws, Accardi said.

One of the most important issues facing the district, she said, is keeping politics out of schools.

In addition, she said, “we need to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be here. Our Grade 5 to 8 students in both communities will be attending a new school in a couple of years. We all want our students to get the high-quality education they need and deserve in a safe, respectful environment. That is my commitment.”

Diana Froisland, 60, is married and has two grown children. She attended Gordon College and graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a double major in Economics and Business Administration. She and her husband co-own Northeast Property Management. She has volunteered with the Raymond Recreation Department as a ski instructor, and is a regular election worker, serving two terms on the RSU 14 Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018.

To improve test scores, Froisland said, “we need to take an honest assessment of current curriculum to determine which programs provide the best outcomes and seek alternative approaches that would help improve student achievement.”

“Title IX was established to provide equal opportunities for girls in public education,” she said. “We need to implement the law as written and passed by the Federal government.”

“It is alarming that Maine schools are continually increasing costs while simultaneously providing declining results,” Froisland said about what she thinks needs to be addressed. “Students and taxpayers deserve better since over 70 percent of our property tax bill funds public education. I will focus on improving academic outcomes and fiscal responsibility and returning the focus back to providing opportunities for our students to be competent and productive citizens.”

In-person voting is to take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 10 at the Jordan-Small Middle School gym at 423 Webbs Mill Road in Raymond.

Absentee ballots are available now at the town office. <