School Committee candidates talk graduation rates, MCAS and more. Here's what they said.

FALL RIVER — School Committee candidates shared their thoughts on increasing student success and other ways to improve Fall River Public Schools ahead of a competitive election set for next month.

On Tuesday, Fall River Community Media hosted a forum for the candidates in this year’s School Committee race; they also will hold a forum for City Council candidates and a mayoral debate later this month.

Nine candidates are vying for six seats on the next School Committee, including incumbents Kevin Aguiar, Bobby Bailey, Michelle Larrivee, Shelli-Ann Pereira and Sara Rodrigues. Former School Committee member Thomas Khoury is looking to return to the body, with previous School Committee candidates Collin Dias and Charles Chase plus newcomer Warren Alves also competing for a seat.

Alves missed Tuesday’s debate because of an illness, moderator Keith Thibault of FRCMedia said. Chase did also not attend.

Election info: Fall River's city election is set for Nov. 7. Here's how to register and who's running

How would candidates improve Fall River high school graduation rates?

According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Fall River Public Schools had a 79.7% four-year high school graduation rate in 2021, compared to 89.8% statewide.

Rodrigues said it was key to make sure students see a high school diploma as a valuable tool for their future.

“I think part of that conversation is, what does it look like to be a high school graduate? And what are the doors that then open for you as a high school graduate?”

Several candidates including Aguiar, Dias, Larrivee, Khoury and Pereira said alternative education options like career and vocational programs and early college programs can help keep students engaged.

High school sports: The MIAA power rankings are out. Where do Fall River high school fall teams stand?

Khoury said the district’s new B.M.C. Durfee High School building, which opened in 2021, will hopefully encourage students to be more engaged with their education.

“But it starts early. We need parents of children in the elementary grades to be great advocates for their youngsters,” he said.

Pereira said the district should support the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s efforts to end the MCAS testing requirement, which requires students to pass a standardized test to graduate from high school.

“If we have students who are coming to school, and are showing up and are learning, I don’t think one test should take a diploma from them.”

Fall River election events: Where to meet the candidates

How can the district maintain positions funded through temporary state funding?

The district currently receives millions of dollars a year through ESSER funds, COVID-era state funding help for schools. Fall River Public Schools have used that money to fund more than 100 employee positions.

Dias said ESSER funds should go strictly toward things like school maintenance.

“If I’m on the School Committee, I’m going to be a staunch advocate for making sure one-time monies goes to one-time expenses,” he said. “In the next 30 years, I don’t want to have to build another Durfee High School.”

Khoury and Larrivee said they were hopeful the state would provide new funding sources after ESSER expires.

“They would have to put something in place to maintain what they’re created,” Khoury said.

Rodrigues said the district should be cautious about assuming the funding from the state would continue at the same level, and said they should make sure to track how they spend ESSER funds to ensure it’s being spent wisely.

“And then we can provide data to go back and say, ‘This is why that funding needs to continue.’ If we don’t concurrently plan for the advocacy piece, then I think we’re doing ourselves a disservice.”

How can the district address low attendance rates?

DESE statistics say 32.2% Fall River public high school students were chronically absent in 2022, meaning they missed 20% or more of school days.

Bailey said the district has already made progress by establishing community liaisons to make connections with families, but that more work can be done.

“I don’t think there’s one direct reason why kids don’t show up,” he said, adding that students could be kept out of school to help watch younger siblings while their parents work. “I think we need to dive deeper. We need to really listen to families and help them.”

Aguiar said the district must be more aggressive about getting students to school and not accept lackluster excuses, even if it means having district employees visit homes directly to pick students up.

“We need to be a lot more intense with our case management,” he said. “We have to be able to work with families and build relationships.”

Dias said more parent engagement could help and suggested using tools like video calls to connect families to the district.

“We need to go to them. I don’t think we do enough of that. More PTO meetings, more parent workshops in their neighborhoods. It doesn’t always have to be in the school,” he said.

What to know about Fall River’s election

Election Day in Fall River this year is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The deadline to register to vote is Saturday, Oct. 28. Anyone interested in voting by mail must submit an application by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Along with the School Committee race, incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan and former mayor Sam Sutter will face off for the mayor’s seat, while 18 candidates are vying for nine seats on the City Council.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River School Committee candidates face off ahead of election