Sarah Harrington

A Word from the Candidate¹ 

MY BACKGROUND...

Hello there. My name is Sarah Harrington and I am originally from Oswego, New York. I have also lived in Ohio and Georgia during my childhood. I attended public schools growing up and graduated with a Regents High School Diploma from Oswego. I went to college at the University of New Hampshire in Durham where I earned a B.S. in Mathematics Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education.

I fell in love with the state of NH and decided to stay here to begin my career in teaching. My first teaching job was at Rochester Middle School. I taught 6th and 8th grade math over the course of six years. During this time I realized what a wonderful community Rochester is and how fortunate we are to have amazing educators that I had the pleasure of working with. So I made the decision that Rochester is where I wanted to settle and bought my condo here in 2011.

MY WHY...

After teaching here for six years, I made the decision to teach at Rye Junior High School where I have been teaching for the last eight years. However, I knew when I left the Rochester School Department that my work was not done and I would give back to the community in some way. That is when I set the goal to get on the Rochester School Board. When a vacant seat opened in Ward 1, I submitted my letter of intent to the Appointment Committee and was voted in by City Council in March 2018. I then ran unopposed in the 2019 election.

I will admit, the current term has been far from easy. We were hit with a global pandemic, another push to replace the Red Raider name and logo, many discussions around sports during COVID, returning to in-person learning, holiday quarantine vs staying in school, masks, and the list goes on. Even through this challenging and difficult time to serve on a school board, during a time when it is impossible to please everyone, I know that my work is still not done. I am just as committed today as I was in 2018 to devote my time and energy in representing my Ward 1 constituents. It is just as important to me and I am just as passionate now as I was then to serve another term as your Ward 1 Seat A representative. Together we can do great things.

WHY EDUCATION IS MY PASSION...

Mrs. Johnson, my third grade teacher, inspired and encouraged me. I realized then how much I enjoyed learning math and listening to the flute. I attended UNH originally as a pre-vet animal science major and took a lot of science classes and one math class my freshman year. I realized after taking the math class that I wanted more math classes versus more science classes. That is when I switched my major to Math Secondary Education.

I had always considered teaching since my influential experience with my third grade teacher. I was very fortunate to start teaching at Rochester Middle School after completing my Masters degree. I understand the culture and climate. I know the challenges we face as a district and also our successes. We have some of the most dedicated educators and support staff I have ever met. We also have amazing and talented students throughout our district.

I knew when I left to teach in another district eight years ago that I would still be involved in the Rochester School Department. Serving on the Rochester school board, over the last four years, allows me to still be involved and have a focus on what is best for the students of Rochester and student achievement. Through setting policy, establishing the school department budget, negotiating contracts, and overseeing the superintendent, the students best interest is always in mind. I also listen to the constituents, parents, and teachers who reach out to me. It is very important to me for them to be heard as well. Education is my passion and the Rochester School Department is my priority.

What I am most proud of while serving on the Rochester School Board...

2019 New Hampshire School Board of Excellence award

Presented to the NHSBA about why Rochester schools stand out in the state of NH

Involved myself in the Tech Center renovations

Serving as the chair of Special Services committee, and a committee member of Instruction, Policy, and Discipline committees.

Involved in reducing the budget by about 2.1M last year during a pandemic because I realize an increase in taxes is hard on all citizens and we have a tax cap in the City of Rochester. I am fiscally conservative. It was important to maintain a tax compliant budget while not cutting any positions. We were able to achieve that goal. I enjoyed spending hours going line by line through the entire budget to see where the cuts could be made.

Navigating the unprecedented times of COVID-19 and handling this very challenging time. Since March 2020, we have distributed over 4,000 Chromebooks, served or delivered meals every day during the pandemic, had 574 home visits, 97% of staff worked in the building all year, 89% average student daily attendance/engagement, and summer school options for all students. Maple Street Magnet School was the first school in the state of NH to return to in person learning last year. We were one of the few schools in the area to offer both in person and remote learning for the majority of last school year before the Governor mandated the return to in person learning.

Learning the importance of listening to constituents, parents, teachers, administrators, and students. I find myself to be approachable and available to talk to and will respond when someone reaches out to me. I realized during the pandemic how important it is to listen to everyone and although I may have my own personal opinions, it is about those whom I represent in Ward 1 and what they express to me as their concerns and needs. I then do my best to find a compromise that will meet the needs of both sides and be the fairest for all. Although there will always be constituents who are unsatisfied with the end result, I have listened to all and tried to do the very best I could as one of the thirteen person board. I try to be fair and consistent in all that I do. I reflect on and give a lot of thought to decisions that are made.

Who I am as a community member...

Community Service and involvement has always been important to me. My involvement started early in life while in high school where I volunteered at a local animal shelter and in National Honor Society where I volunteered to work with senior citizens to teach them how to use their computers. I was also very involved in my local church community.

When I attended the University of New Hampshire my commitment to the community continued as I joined Circle K International, a student-led colligate service organization under Kiwanis, where we were involved in community service projects throughout New England. I was also involved in the local church community in Durham where I was a founding member of the Canterbury Club which connected the church and the university.

As a Rochester Resident since 2011, my community outreach continued. I have been serving on my church’s Vestry as the clerk. Church Vestry is the government body of the local church which I belong to. Also, since moving to Rochester, I have been on the Board of Directors of my Condo Association at Woodland Green. Here I have served as President of the Board of Directors for seven years, and as a Board Member over the last few years. Each of theses groups has helped me with overseeing vendors, negotiating contracts, managing multiple budgets and leading meetings where Robert’s Rules of Order are practiced.

All of this experience has played a critical role in my work on the Rochester School Board where I have been the Ward 1 Seat A representative for the past two terms. A seat, with your vote, I wish to continue and support our families, our students, and our teachers as we work to provide a strong education for Rochester’s future.

Responses from 2021 Foster's Questionnaire² 

View the 2023 Foster's Candidate Survey by Clicking Here!

What do you see as the top three issues facing the district, and how can the board address them? 

One issue the district faces each year is the city tax cap. I worked to reduce the budget by about $2.1 million last year during a pandemic because I realize an increase in taxes is hard on all citizens and we have a tax cap in the City of Rochester. I am also fiscally conservative. It was important to maintain a tax compliant budget while not cutting any positions. We were able to achieve that goal.  A second issue the district faces is the constant moving target for special education costs including out of district placement and transportation. It is impossible to budget an exact amount because of so many unknowns and families moving in and out of the district. We do our best to budget a conservative amount and understand that there are times we have to ask the City Council for a supplemental appropriation to cover the cost. We are looking at all our placements and making sure these students are in the least restrictive learning environments and doing whatever we can to keep or bring back students by providing those services within our district. A third issue facing the district is the implications of the COVID pandemic on mental health, learning, and our reading and math scores. We are utilizing school data teams to identify students requiring tiered interventions, offering summer school program opportunities, and measuring individual student growth and setting goals.      

How, if at all, would you work to strengthen the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts?

Our district is doing a fine job with how things are now. Our students have a variety of student groups available to them to participate in. Students can also go to their administrator or guidance counselor with thoughts and ideas of how to make things better. We hire staff based on those who are the most qualified. We are inclusive and equitable among our staff and students. It is very important for all students and staff to feel safe and respected.

How, if at all, would you work to strengthen the district’s mental health and wellness efforts for students?

Our district provides programs, guidance counselors and psychologists to assist in mental health efforts for our students. Mental health is a focus and priority. Students need to be in a good space with their mental health in order to learn and access their curriculum. Our physical education and health department plays an important role in our district’s efforts to improve the health and fitness of its students. We will continue to support these efforts.  

Resources to Learn More About Sarah Harrington

Foster's Daily Democrat 2021 Questionnaire

"Sarah Harrington for School Board Ward 1" Facebook Candidate Page