Five Madison residents running for 3 seats on school board

MADISON — Five Madison residents are vying for three seats on the Maine School Administrative District 59 board of directors.

Madison voters will elect three candidates to three-year terms on the board at a municipal election scheduled for Tuesday. MSAD 59 serves students in Madison.

Polls are scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Old Point Avenue School at 108 Old Point Ave.

The candidates on the ballot are Timothy Curtis, Carla Franzose, Joseph Hayden, Kathleen Hayden and Chelsea VanGorden.

Franzose, 50, is the only incumbent running for reelection. She has served on the board for six years.

Franzose, who works as a business manager for another school district, has lived in Madison her whole life and raised two sons who attended Madison schools.

“It’s my community,” Franzose said. “I care about my community and the children and want to see what’s best for them.”

Her background working in a business office lends itself to the school board position, Franzose said. “It gives a good perspective,” she said.

Curtis, 57, worked as Madison’s town manager for eight years and is now the Somerset County administrator.

“I have a pretty good understanding of how budgets work,” Curtis said. “And I understand the school budget is a pretty complicated beast, but I have a pretty good grasp of it.”

Curtis said he is “very supportive” of what he believes is an excellent school district but has been critical of some budget decisions in the past.

“I thought it would be best if I was proactive and tried to help from the side of the board,” he said.

Joseph Hayden, 66, taught in Madison for more than 35 years before retiring in 2021.

“I kind of know how things go, what kids are like,” said Hayden, who also coached football in Madison.

Now with young grandchildren soon to enter the school system, Hayden, a lifelong Madison resident, said he wants to continue to support the school district.

His goal: “Just trying to make school and learning as interesting as possible.”

Kathleen Hayden, 63, who is married to Joseph Hayden, is also a teacher.

“With my experience in teaching school, I feel like I have a good background to help make some good decisions on getting our kids the best education we can for the money,” Hayden said.

Hayden said she raised four children in Madison, and like her husband, is interested in serving the school district because of her young grandchildren. But education is important for everyone, she said.

“I think the more that we can offer students to get a complete, full-rounded education, the better it is,” Hayden said. “And I know that’s challenging when you have a shrinking district.”

VanGorden, 36, has two children who attend MSAD 59 schools, and said she is concerned about the way the district is currently run.

“It seems like the people who get put in power get put in power for a reason and they make the decisions that benefit them and what they want,” said VanGorden, a real estate agent. “And they take no regard for the kids and their experiences and what’s best for them into consideration.”

VanGorden said the district should hire a crossing guard and school resource officer, establish a booster program for student-athletes, and increase support services for students who may not qualify for special education programs. VanGorden also said she is concerned that Superintendent Bonnie Levesque spends time away from the district in Florida.

“I’m vocal and I’m passionate and I just think our kids deserve better,” VanGorden said.

All other municipal races in Madison, including one seat on the Board of Selectmen, are uncontested.