Candidates for town government seats in the May 18 Annual Town Election came together to present their qualifications at Wednesday’s Meet the Candidates Night at the HCAM-TV studio.

The event, hosted by the Hopkinton Women’s Club, provided a forum for incumbents and a few political newcomers to demonstrate their skills and enthusiasm for Hopkinton and the roles they are seeking. Nearly all of them are guaranteed seats, as there are only two contested races on the ballot — one for the School Committee and the other for the Board of Health.

There are three candidates vying for two School Committee seats with three-year terms. Current chair Kyla McSweeney is seeking reelection. The other candidates are Sandra Irwin and Sravana Krishna.

Current Board of Health chair Nasiba Mannan is running against political newcomer Dimitry Zuckerman, who works in computer and electrical engineering, for the single open seat. Zuckerman did not appear at the event, which allowed the focus to turn primarily to the School Committee race.

Focus on diverse student needs

Irwin, a marketing manager, said she is running because of her belief “in the power of public education.” She noted the community’s responsibility to “meet the changing needs of our town and its students.”

As a public school student, Irwin recalled experiencing growing class sizes and diminished extracurricular activities. As a parent of two children in the Hopkinton Public Schools and another in preschool, she said she has seen the impact of School Committee decisions through her volunteer roles in classrooms and the larger community.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths and succeed in their own way,” said Irwin.

Like Irwin, Krishna said he and his family moved to Hopkinton because of its strong school system.

“Today I’m here to make the case that I’m strongly qualified to serve on the School Committee and make them even better,” he said.

Krishna highlighted his experience in town government, serving on the Zoning Advisory Committee, Design Review Board and Economic Development Advisory Board. On the professional side, he is a senior technology executive with artificial intelligence expertise. He has two children in the school system and is a board member for the Friends of SEPAC (Special Education Parents Advisory Council), which supports students with diverse learning needs.

McSweeney discussed her accomplishments during her two years on the School Committee. She cochaired the superintendent search committee last year and twice served on the search committee for the director of student services.

“My three goals are supporting the diversity of our students, especially our students with special education needs; listening to members of the community, no matter who they are; and supporting teachers and staff, who are the backbone of our schools,” she said.

Q&A draws out perspectives

The question-and-answer period started out with more than a minute of silence.

“They are dying to answer your questions,” deadpanned moderator Kathie Hebden. “Please help them out.”

The first of two questions asked what the School Committee’s biggest challenge is.

School Committee candidates (from left) Sandra Irwin, Sravana Krishna and Kyla McSweeney introduce themselves at Wednesday’s Meet the Candidates Night. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

For Irwin, the immediate challenge is the budget. But she said balancing the needs of new families in Hopkinton with those who are not actively engaged in the system also is critical.

“We need to think about how schools serve the community at large,” she stressed.

Krishna’s priority is preparing students for a rapidly changing job market and equipping them with solid skills. He suggested creating new “community-driven pathways” in education for medical, AI and business careers.

“These pathways are not just about technical skills training,” stressed Krishna. “Thriving in that role means communication, collaboration, listening, persuasion and so much more.”

“I think our biggest issue facing us is our growing student enrollment across the district,” said McSweeney.

The influx of new students requires more teachers, staff and money to support them, she added. She pointed out that this year, the School Committee had to trim the district’s budget, cutting a new middle school art teacher position it strongly desired.

McSweeney noted that the middle school class sizes “are the largest Hopkinton has ever seen.”

Regarding future opportunities, McSweeney talked about the importance of using data to drive future planning and policies.

“To me, every child deserves to create their own masterpiece,” said Krishna, noting that student support is crucial for their success.

Irwin saw the future as “an opportunity to look at what the values are that we are instilling in our students.” She stressed character development and resiliency as well as intellectual achievement.

BOH: Mannan touts leadership

Mannan has served on the Board of Health for the past three years, including the past year as chair. She stressed that the board helped the Health Department emerge from the pandemic as a state leader despite staffing shortages and budget reductions.

Some Health Department achievements she highlighted include the vaccination program, sharps disposal initiative and air quality testing program.

Her background in health care regulation and compliance, combined with two decades of executive experience, have driven Mannan to serve on the board, she shared. Mannan said she will continue to use the knowledge gained from her master’s degrees in nutrition and public health “to support the long-term well-being of our community” if she is reelected.

“We have faced some challenges head-on and have made real progress,” she said. “But there is a lot more work to do.”

Zuckerman shared his reasons for running in a recent email to the Independent. A Hopkinton resident for six years, he hopes to contribute his professional skills to the board in terms of data collection and analysis.

“I am seeking to serve on the Hopkinton Board of Health at this time because our community is at an important point where growth, environmental stewardship and public health must be carefully balanced,” he stated. “As development continues and pressures on local resources increase, I believe it is critical to bring a practical, solutions-oriented approach to protecting the health of residents today while safeguarding the town for the future.”

He added that he saw “opportunities to modernize health-related processes” by improving data tracking methods and communication to streamline permitting and inspection processes.

Stated Zuckerman: “By leveraging technology, we can make public health efforts more responsive, data-driven and accessible to residents.”

Constable: Write-in candidates emerge

Jason Watson and Daniel Harvey announced that they are running as write-in candidates for constable. No candidate will appear on the ballot.

Watson said he had been looking for an opportunity to volunteer in town and saw this as a good fit for him.

Said Watson: “I would be honored to serve as constable and keep our residents informed and involved.”

Harvey spoke about his background as a former park ranger in North Carolina and at Hopkinton State Park. He currently serves as a traffic constable.

“I think that somebody with a law enforcement background like myself is well equipped … to deal with people in less than ideal circumstances,” he said.

Most seats unopposed

The following residents are running for uncontested positions:

• Incumbent Adam Munroe for Board of Assessors
• Incumbents Warren Carter and Jessica McCaffrey for Board of Library Trustees
• Regina Miloslavsky for Cemetery Commission and Commissioners of Trust Funds
• Incumbent John Morris for Housing Authority
• Brad Fenn and Lynn Taylor for Parks & Recreation Commission
• Incumbent Rob Benson and Brian Johnson for Planning Board
• Incumbent Amy Ritterbusch for Select Board

The election will be held on May 18 at Hopkinton Middle School’s Brown Gym from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.