The City of Holyoke invites interested residents of Ward 1 and Ward 4 to apply for interim appointment to the Ward 1 and Ward 4 School Committee seats following the resignation of two elected representatives.
Gustavo Romero, former representative of Ward 1, noted in his resignation letter to Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia that he is no longer able to devote the time and energy required to fulfill his duties.
"I want to thank Mr. Romero for his service on the School Committee for the past few years,” said HPS Receiver Anthony Soto. “He stepped up at a time when we needed a Ward 1 rep. He also was a contributing member of the HPS Rezoning Task Force in 2022 to support the district to move to separate elementary and middle schools."
Gloria Caballero-Roca, former representative of Ward 4, shared in her resignation letter that she has started a new job as program director at Homework House, a student-centered non-profit organization, which would create a conflict of interest were she to remain on the School Committee.
"I appreciate Dr. Caballero-Roca's service on the School Committee and particularly on the local control subcommittee. I wish her the best,” said Superintendent Soto.
While the departure of these two members will not interfere with the district’s efforts to exit receivership, Mayor Garcia hopes to fill the seats quickly so the School Committee can maintain its momentum with the Capacity Building Plan (English) | (Spanish) approved on August 19.
Mayor Garcia said these vacancies will be filled by appointments made jointly by the School Committee, City Council, and himself, according to the Holyoke City Charter. Appointees will serve the remainder of the two-year terms as members of the committee. When those terms are up, the ward seats will be filled by voters following a regular election.
Those interested are asked to send a letter of interest and resume to the City of Holyoke Personnel Office, 20 Korean Veterans Plaza, Holyoke, MA 01040 or via email.
Candidates will be interviewed during an October 2 joint meeting of the Holyoke School Committee, City Council, and Mayor Garcia. Applications will be accepted up until then, although candidates are encouraged to submit their interest sooner.