Mountain Valley grad trying for school board
By Eileen M. Adams
Staff Writer

MEXICO – Jarrod Dumais wants to help Mexico have full representation on the SAD 43 board, so he has decided to become a write-in candidate for the position.

When the deadline passed late last month for the return of nomination papers for several elected positions in the town, none of those returned were for the two open seats on the school board.

Dumais, 24, is a 1997 graduate of the Mountain Valley High School and a 2001 graduate of Colby College with a degree in government. For the past year, he has coached soccer and skiing and worked as a substitute teacher in the district.

The year before that, he worked for Freedom House in Washington, D.C., helping to coordinate an exchange program that taught mostly former communist countries about democracy. Eventually he wants to become certified as a teacher. For the summer, he plans to serve as a relief youth worker for the Rumford Group Home.

Dumais believes having a younger person on the board who has been through the system would be a good thing for the district, suggesting that he might understand the feelings and perspectives of students.

Besides having been a student, his experience as a substitute teacher and coach has helped him to understand the district, he said. It would be beneficial to serving on the board, he said.

He said he hopes others will step forward to run as write-in candidates. He plans to start a door-to-door write-in campaign as the June 10 election draws closer, he said.

The two open seats are currently held by Courtney and Faye Prentiss who are not seeking second terms. Mexico has four SAD 43 board members. The remaining two are Chairwoman Betty Barrett and Peter Zanoni.

eadams@sunjournal.com