Committee Members and Biographies

Committee Members

Name Title
Kathy Anderson Member
Elizabeth Carpenito Member
Donna Buckley Member
  Member
Rick Howe Member
Christopher Hyldburg Member
Superintendent of Schools Member
Richard Lavoie Member
Peter J. Meier Member
William Meier Member
Jordan Giest Member
Natasha Scarpato Member
Vacancy Chair
Paul OKeefe Member
 

Committee Member Biographies

Kathy Anderson

I have been a resident of Bourne for 30 years.

I have two sons who have graduated from Bourne schools and nieces and a nephew who currently attend.

As an Administrative Assistant for the Bourne School Department for the past 16 years I have had the pleasure of working at Peebles Elementary and Bournedale Elementary Schools and currently work in both buildings. Although there is a very special place in my heart for Peebles Elementary School, it is where my children went to school and where I have spent the majority of my years employed by Bourne Public Schools. I see that Peebles Elementary School is at a disadvantage due to its age. I had the opportunity to open Bournedale Elementary School and experience the benefits of an up to date educational facility. It is undoubtedly safer, more efficient and cost effective. The building is much better suited to providing our students and staff an educational environment that meets the demands of the current times. I would love to see all of the students in Bourne share a common educational experience. As a committee member I am pleased and proud of our progress. We have spent a great deal of time listening to the needs of our community and the development of the grade span configuration is a direct result of the feedback we have received. Bourne is a community that cares about its future and is vested in our students. I am convinced that "one community, one educational experience" will serve our town well.

Elizabeth A. Carpenito

I moved to Pocasset in 2008 with my husband, who is a lifelong resident of Bourne. We also have two children, one of which attends first grade at Peebles Elementary School, and our Kindergartner who attends Bournedale Elementary School.

My entire educational career has been in the Bourne Public Schools. Since 2001, I have been a fourth grade teacher at Peebles, an Assistant Principal at both Peebles and Bournedale and currently serve as Principal at Bournedale Elementary School.

I have a strongly vested interest in the School Building Committee as an educator, parent and active member in the Bourne community. Having worked in both buildings, I truly understand the tremendous challenges it is taking to maintain Peebles, and the opportunities Bournedale has brought to the students, families and community members of Bourne. For these reasons, I wanted to be a voice in the final proposal brought forth to our community.

Donna Buckley

I have been a resident of Bourne for about fifteen years, have been a teacher in Bourne for over twenty years, and currently teach fourth grade at Peebles School.

I am well aware of the questionable conditions our students, staff, and visitors experience at Peebles School each day. The Maintenance Department, school custodians, and teachers work continuously to keep the school safe through a never-ending and costly routine of repairing, replacing, and/or "making do," with whatever the day's issue may be. Unfortunately, neither the careful attention to maintenance nor the colorful, wonderfully creative bulletin boards and lessons created by teachers, all earnestly carried out in a valiant attempt to disguise the shortcomings of this aged building, can hide the cold winter air seeping through the large single-pane windows, the (still-monitored) areas of asbestos which remain after the large scale asbestos-removal project of a few years ago, the woefully inadequate heating system which delivers widely varying temperatures to different sections of the school, or the fact that Music classes are held in a tiled room labeled "Boys Locker Room," and the school library is seriously lacking in both resources and location.

The students, and in fact, all residents, of Bourne deserve a fully accessible school that offers the safety of modern construction, the endless opportunities for learning and exploration offered by cutting edge technology, and a media center which harbors a wealth of literary and informational resources.

Frederick H. Howe

I have been a resident of Bourne since 1979, and have a son who graduated from Bourne High School.

I have served the town in many capacities over the years, including Conservation Commission, Board of Health, Finance Committee, and School Committee (3 years as chair). I have also served on the Middle School and Bournedale Building Committees.

The replacement of Peebles is the third part of a school building program first proposed in 1995. The first two parts--the Middle School and Bournedale Elementary--are completed. It is extremely important that we replace the Peebles building at this time as it has outlived its effective usefulness. The cost to maintain a level of safety for the students and staff now exceeds the cost of a new building. The state grant makes the project very time-sensitive.

Christopher Hyldburg

Resident of Bourne for 22 years.

Parent, School Committee member 4 years, Chair 2 years, Facility Subcommittee 4 years.

It is a rare opportunity when a single building can affect an entire district for the better. The Bourne Peebles project is just such a case. Having diverted a frustrating amount of educational tax dollars to maintain an aging school, it was clear the Peebles School replacement was a priority for our district, our town. As function of our Massachusetts School Building Association partnership, Bourne entered into a lengthy Feasibility study- a process that truly opened my eyes to the potential of a bright new horizon for Bourne education. A new school is far more than “square footage per child”; its re-aligning grades for a better learning experience for all students- Pre K-12th grade (and beyond). It is a consistent, concerted effort focusing the District’s efforts on each student at each grade level.

One student, one grade, one district. The Bourne rule of One.

Richard Lavoie

Resident of Bourne since 1976

Presently serve on the Town Finance Committee and represent the Finance Committee on the School Building Committee.

Previously, I served on the School Committee for 12 years; three years as Chair. During my tenure on the School Committee, as well as Vice Chair of the Bournedale School Building Committee; we had an assessment of Peebles complex by construction professionals; it became clear that the building was at the end of its life; was not handicapped accessible and that the cost of repairs would likely meet or exceed the cost of new construction. I have been working in one capacity or another to work towards the replacement of this building.

Peter J. Meier

Resident of Bourne for 45 years
Board of Selectmen representative

Elected to the Bourne Planning Board and Bourne Housing Authority from 1996-2011.

Bourne Board of Selectmen and Sewer Commissioners elected since 2011.

Appointed to the Bournedale Elementary School Building Committee in 2007.

And various other communities from 1996 - present.

It is important for the students and faculty of Bourne to have a first class facility. By having a 21st century learning environment it will help our students to succeed.  We will also have an efficient physical plant. We will save money on electric and heating costs and conserve resources at the same time.

William "Dusty" Meier

Resident of Bourne since 1952. 64 years.

Lifelong resident of Bourne

At large member of the Bourne School Building Committee.

Presently also on the Police Study Committee and the Public Works Facility Committee.

Vice Chairman of the Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Building Committee.

As a former student of the James F Peebles Elementary School, I have noticed that the building still has not changed significantly since I was a student.

Natasha Scarpato

I have been a resident of Bourne since 2007.

I am a parent of three children here in Bourne, one of whom is currently attending Peebles Elementary School. I am also a newly appointed member of the Bourne School Committee.

The Peebles Project is important because our children need a safe, modern, up-to-date school that can keep up with today's technology. The current situation at Peebles, while very warm and inviting, lacks many simple staples such as a standalone library and adequate ventilation. This project will also allow all of the schools in our town to become district-wide buildings where children can remain together year after year, and teachers can have the opportunity to collaborate with all other teachers in their respective grades. I hope to see this building become a symbol of the hard work and dedication put forth by the members of this committee, as well as the members of the community who have been asking for a replacement for the outdated Peebles School.

James L. Potter

I've been a resident of Bourne for 8 years, prior to that a resident of Onset for 30 years. This is my first appointment to a committee in Bourne, however in Wareham, I served on many committees and boards, and also as a Selectman.

I represent a citizen-at-large, 'in the construction trade seat', on the Committee. I serve as the Committee Chairman. Also, as a local parent, my oldest graduated Bourne High School in 2015. I currently have one child in Bourne High School, and two at Bournedale Elementary School.

The Peebles project is the culmination of the Bourne community's desire to replace an aging facility that has served the Town well for over 60 years. The desire to replace the Peebles School precedes my time here in Bourne. Finally selected as a grant recipient in the Mass School Building Authority grant-program, the Town now has an opportunity to provide a new school that Bourne can afford, subsidized with State grant-funding that should last the Town another 60 years. The new Peebles School design, as a grades 3-5 elementary school, will actually allow the other existing schools to maximize their own potential from the re-districting of the grade spans. It is my desire to find the balance, where affordability and where the Town's original mission to replace the school, meet.