Overview:
Emily Meuse, a former Massachusetts National Guard member and current employee at Schneider Electric, is running for election to retain her seat on the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee. Meuse, who was appointed to fill a two-year vacancy created by the resignation of Laura Robinson, faces competition from former committee member and current Selectboard member Mitch Grosky. Meuse's priorities include improving communication between schools and families, monitoring the success of the state's Vision of a Massachusetts Graduate program, and addressing the need for improvement at Athol High School.
ATHOL – Emily Meuse, appointed last September to fill a two-year vacancy on the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee, is running in the town election to retain her seat.
The vacancy was created following the resignation of Laura Robinson, and Meuse was appointed to serve only until the next town election in April. She faces competition from former committee member and current Selectboard member Mitch Grosky.
Meuse told the Athol Daily News she is a native of Iowa but moved to the North Quabbin area 28 years ago. She lives in Athol with her husband and their two children.
“I am an Athol High School graduate, and after high school I went off and joined the Massachusetts National Guard,” she said. “9/11 happened my senior year and it completely changed the trajectory of my adult life. I didn’t really have any plans for what I was going to do after high school, but it was almost serendipitous in a humbling, kind of sad way….I served for 17 years.”
After mustering out of the Guard, Meuse, 41, worked for a year as a government contractor with the Air Force. However, with two children, “I really wanted to spend more time with them. I wanted to spend more time, but I also wanted to be more than a resident here. I really wanted to be a part of the community.”
With experience in operations and human resources, Meuse works for Schneider Electric, doing strategic planning and business transformation.
Meuse’s children both attend classes at Royalston Community School, and this fact played a large part in her decision to apply to fill the vacancy that arose with Robinson’s departure.
“As soon as my children started going to school,” Meuse explained, “I did join the PTG, which is the equivalent of a PTO. I felt it was really important. The word ‘community’ is part of the RCS name and I do feel there is a need for bond between the families and the school.”
When the search began for a replacement for Robinson, Meuse said, “I felt more compelled, you know, what else can I do? My background is strong in program management and transformations and I asked myself, ‘Where can I leverage the skills I have and help the School Committee and help the district itself.”
Meuse noted that Massachusetts is currently “working on launching The Vision of a Graduate, and I feel that’s really important. What are we looking for our graduates to accomplish by the time they do graduate high school? I love to see success metrics, and I love to see how this rolls out. Monitoring the success of that (program) is important to me.”
The state website describes Vision of a Massachusetts Graduate as “the first step in creating a new statewide graduation standard to ensure all students leave high school with the skills necessary to succeed in college, careers and civic life.”
Meuse said she also sees the need for better communication between the schools and families as a crucial issue.
“I think it’s really important to improve communication back and forth,” she said, noting the district’s plans for a series of meetings between parents and Superintendent Matt Ehrenworth.
When it comes to the future of Athol High School, Meuse said, “There’s certainly a need for improvement, whether it’s a new building or modifications to the current structure. Certainly the feasibility study will help us all make the best decision on how to go forward with whatever plan we do choose.”
In addition to her children, Meuse lives in Athol with her husband Ryan, an employee of the state Fish & Game Department.
“I married my high school sweetheart,” she added. “We actually joined the military together. He was an Athol High graduate in 2000, and he waited for me to graduate in 2002 and we joined the military together.”
Athol’s town election will be held Monday, April 6. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Town Hall. While Meuse and Grosky are facing off to serve the remaining two years of Robinson’s term, incumbent Emily White and Eric Jack are running unopposed for reelection to two three-year terms on the committee.