Francis Gagnon is running  for Lewiston School Committee Ward 3 on Nov. 3, 2015. Learn about more candidates and issues in our Election 2015 guide.

Name:

Francis Gagnon

Email address:

Francis@MainePhotoFinish.com

Other Social Media?

www.FrancisGagnon.com (under construction)

Occupation or primary source of income:

Photo Finish and Via-Vision Video

Education:

BFA, mass communication and film production, Emerson College

Family information:

Francis Gagnon was born and raised in Rumford as the first proud American in his family. His parents Normand and Pierrette Gagnon moved from the province of Quebec in 1968. He established Lewiston residency in 1999 and owns Via-Vision Video in Brunswick and Photo Finish in the Auburn Mall.

Husband to Ellie Gagnon raising two young boys which attend Lewiston public schools.

Public offices sought or held:

Seeking Lewiston School Committee, Ward 3; recognition, 2010 YPLAA Businessman of the Year; Lewiston High School Multimedia Board member since 2010; LA Toastmaster, president 2008-2011; JFM, The Life Center, Community Choice Award, 2005; Active member with the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce

Why are you running for office? Why should voters select you for this job?

As parents we raise our children by demonstrating good actions and morals. Upon sending our children to public school we expect additional growth with quality values and skills in their education.

Continually developing positive growth between parents, teachers and the educational system creates a synergy which strengthens our community.

After all, strong communities are built upon those who expect success!

Our School Committee is the educational voice of the people and I have the experience and ambition to deliver Lewiston’s high expectations of successful students and graduates. Parents, teachers, school administrators are welcome to approach me. Your concerns should be addressed whether you need directions to a school department or have a question about the future of our school system.

I will put my best foot forward to gain information and move our future generations in the correct direction. I’m happy to listen to your views and gain perspective.

Lewiston is my home, I pay taxes, have a family and own two businesses — this is our community. It takes responsibility to represent our city and with your insight we can make a difference in our educational system.

Was the last $64.7 million school budget passed too low, too high or just right? And would you support a school budget that boosts program spending, maintains or cuts program spending and why?

Balancing a $64.7 million budget is no easy task. Superintendent Bill Webster along with the School Committee and the City Council work very hard at maintaining a balance between spending, cuts and new programs.

It’s difficult to imagine all the volunteered efforts many of our teachers and citizens also provide, including fundraising for special projects and educational field trips. Making cuts to a budget is often required but never easy as it usually directly involves several people in our system.

However, changes are always required and finding a balance between our educational infrastructure and the taxpayers of our city is important. I have worked with several business plans and budgets throughout my professional career. March 2016, during budget reviews, will be my first attempt at maintaining a strong and proactive budget for our community.

After rolling out Proficiency Based Learning and new diplomas for the Class of 2018, the administrators changed direction and have now delayed the new diplomas until 2021, while other parts of PBL are being implemented now. Is that a good idea or not? Why?

Proficiency Based Learning has been a recent challenge for students who were comfortable with a system which worked for many years prior to the implementation. PBL should have taken several years to fully implement.

However Lewiston was quick to introduce the new structure before teachers, parents and students were fully prepared. Having discovered the difficulties, the full implementation of PBL has been adjusted with the graduating class of 2021. This has been mandated by law and extending it out to the class of 2021 will ease some of the concerns Lewiston recently encountered.

Classroom overcrowding has been a concern. Do you favor hiring more teachers to reduce classroom sizes? If yes, where should the money come from?

Teacher-to-student ratios within Lewiston is a serious concern many do not fully realize. While many schools throughout Maine are shrinking, future predictions show Lewiston with growing numbers within the next several years.

To maintain an educational success rate we should not overburden our teachers with over enrollment. However, we are quickly losing space at our schools. Not enough adequate classroom space is available to provide rooms for new teachers. Plans are in progress for a new elementary school in the near future, but concerns about overcrowding surround us immediately.

We should investigate the possibility of hiring new teachers, which would currently teach in overcrowded classrooms, as a team effort until the new school or a new classroom opens. We currently have many ed techs, many are actual certified teachers and who see the need and eager to improve our educational system. Let’s investigate this further.

The school committee recently voted to build a new elementary school near Lewiston High School that combines and replaces the Martel and Longley schools and gives the city improved athletic fields. Do you favor this plan?

I believe our community recognized many years ago both Longley and Martel were too small for the growth capacity we have encountered. A new school near the high school is a smart investment. The infrastructure for the building is nearby, the building is central, property management will be efficient and bus travel should be easier to name a few ideals.

The new school is not a new business. It’s an opportunity to improve our current educational system.