Saco School Board race heats up as 2 educators challenge chair, vice chair

Saco School Board race heats up as two veteran teachers challenge incumbents

Saco, Maine – On November 3, the city’s voters will decide whether two longtime educators will replace the current chair and vice‑chair of the Saco School Board. Maureen “Moe” Cahill is running for Ward 6, where Chair Sarah Truman sits, and Arianna Parks is vying for Ward 2, held by Vice‑Chair Jennifer Preble. Both challengers say they want to bring teacher voices back to the board after a perceived “blind spot” that, they argue, leaves students’ needs underserved.

The election also includes a contest for Ward 4, where Kevin Roche will defend his seat against Donald Pilon, but that race has received far less attention.

The incumbents: experience and a focus on infrastructure

Truman, who has served on the board since 2020 and was elected chair in January, said she is running for another term because she believes teachers deserve strong advocacy. She added that her mother was a special‑education teacher for 26 years, giving her a personal connection to the profession.

“We’re building a new campus for pre‑K through grade 5,” Truman told local reporters. “This creates equity for all students across the city.” She also highlighted plans to negotiate salary increases for staff and to complete the new school construction by the 2028‑29 school year. In addition, she stressed her continued partnership with Thornton Academy, a private school that serves Saco public‑school students under a long‑standing contract that was recently renewed after a dispute earlier this year.

Preble, who has been on the board for seven years—including three terms as chair and one as vice‑chair—has a background as a social worker. She said her goal for this term is to keep the momentum on the new buildings and to strengthen ties with the academy.

“This work is my children’s future, my community, and my neighbors’,” Preble said. “I’ve done everything I can to improve it.” She emphasized that board decisions are made by majority vote and that the board collaborates closely with Superintendent Jeremy Ray. “They’ve proven that collaboration works,” Truman added, underscoring a sense of teamwork between the board and the superintendent’s office.

Challengers call for teacher representation

Cahill, an occupational therapist who spent 24 years in Cape Elizabeth schools, said she is “energized by the support” she has received from teachers, parents and taxpayers. “Again and again, I heard a strong desire for thoughtful leadership and a willingness to see positive change within our schools,” she told reporters.

Parks, who has worked in special‑education for eight years, said she was approached by teachers who wanted someone on the board who “knows what it’s like to work alongside students, educators and support staff.” She said the district’s special‑education program has suffered from high turnover—16 teachers gone in two years—“which hurts staff morale and student stability.” “I want educators to know they have someone they can talk to and that their voices have a place in school board conversations,” she said. “I don’t believe this issue is receiving the attention it deserves at the school board level.”

Both challengers point to a gap on the board: only one current member—Preble—has a background in education, while the others come from administrative or community‑service fields. They argue that teachers should help shape policy on classroom instruction, staff retention, and resource allocation.

Teacher perspective on the current climate

Nick Fuller, a 15‑year veteran teacher at C.K. Burns School, said many of his colleagues want teachers on the board. “I have hope that educators would hear what other educators are concerned about,” he said. Fuller said he has never seen a leadership crisis as serious as what he perceives Saco to be facing.

He cited a lack of continuity for students, noting that he sometimes didn’t know which teacher was responsible for an individual’s Individualized Education Program. “Students need familiar faces, not strangers,” he said. Fuller also criticized the board’s relationship with Superintendent Jeremy Ray, saying the board “takes orders” from him. “Can you imagine if the board at Maine Medical Center had no doctors or medical professionals on it?” he asked, comparing the board to other professional boards.

Preble rebuffed that comparison, noting that the board’s decisions are made through a majority vote process and that the superintendent’s input is “under advisement.” Truman agreed that the board and the superintendent work together, emphasizing that “Ray and his team work in tandem with the school board… and are committed to taking direction from the board.”

The broader election context

All four candidates—Cahill, Parks, Truman, and Preble—have submitted nomination papers to the town clerk and will appear on the ballot for the November 3 election at Thornton Academy (438 Main St.). The winners will take office in December and serve three‑year terms. The election follows a statewide trend of communities debating the role of teachers on school boards, a question that has resurfaced as districts grapple with staffing shortages, budget constraints and the need for new facilities.

While the Ward 6 and Ward 2 races are the most publicized, the Ward 4 contest between Kevin Roche and Donald Pilon is also scheduled, though it has received less media attention. Roche has been in the district for many years, while Pilon is a new face on the ballot.

Looking ahead

As Saco prepares for the November ballot, voters will weigh the experience of two seasoned board members against the fresh perspective of two veteran teachers. The central issue, according to challeng