NEWBURYPORT — The once-crowded race for three School Committee seats has dramatically more room with only five candidates remaining and current members picking favorites.
School Committee member Breanna Higgins is running for reelection to another four-year term but her colleagues, Bruce Menin and Steve Cole, are not.
Seven candidates appeared on the Sept. 19 preliminary ballot, which was designed to whittle that number to six for the Nov. 7 municipal election. Donna Sprague ended up being the odd woman out with only 312 votes.
But in a surprise move, Sprague is back on the ballot after Markus Fish withdrew his candidacy Sept. 20.
Another candidate, Amanda Hancock-Dionne, also recently withdrew her name from contention leaving voters with only five candidates. Those candidates are Higgins, Sprague, Andrew Boger, Lyndi Lanphear and Kathleen Shaw.
Menin and fellow School Committee member Brian Callahan are making their own voices heard when it comes to who they would like to see on the committee next year.
Menin endorsed Boger and Shaw in a letter to The Daily News on Sept. 12. More recently, Callahan has thrown his support behind the pair, as well as Higgins on his Brian Callahan for School Committee (“BCforSC”) Facebook page.
Callahan said in a text message he was endorsing the three candidates because they are good people he wants to work with.
“Andrew has great qualifications, and has three kids in the schools. I voted for Breanna at her appointment, and she’s been beneficial to the School Committee, so I’d like to see her stay on,” he said. “Kathleen’s background is excellent, she’s been very involved with the Afghan newcomers, and she’d be great to have on the Special Education Parents Advisory Council.”
Callahan added that he has been vocal about his support because he’s a parent, as well as a voter.
“I don’t want people who spread misinformation to have an impact my children’s, or any child’s, education,” he said, alluding to Sprague and Lanphear.
When asked if he was trying to keep them off the committee, Callahan wouldn’t say directly. Instead, he said voters will have up to three candidates to choose from and he has picked the trio he believes will do the best job.
“I’ve chosen three people whom I’m proud to publicly endorse, as a voter, parent and School Committee member,” he said. “If asked, I’d tell anyone on the street to vote for the same people.”
Lanphear is a member of the Citizens for Responsible Education parent group, which has been critical of the school district and some of the reading material it has had in its school libraries in the past.
When reached by phone on Friday, Lanphear took issue with Callahan’s assessment and asked for examples. When The Daily News contacted Callahan again for examples, he declined to comment further on the matter.
Lanphear, however, had no qualms in responding.
“I have never misrepresented anything or am pretending I’m not involved with CRE, in fact I talk about it on my website,” she said. “I don’t want this to be a negative campaign. But I’m finding I am constantly having to defend myself because of all these lies. The hate is coming from the other side in this, not from me.”
Sprague was unavailable for comment on Friday.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.