Virginia Justice of Woodside Road will serve on the School Committee until the next annual town election. The Board of Selectmen and the School Committee appointed her Tuesday evening to fill the vacancy left by Mark Hardy’s June 25 resignation. Justice was one of three residents considered for the post.
Justice, the mother of three young children, brings business experience to the board. She received her MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Speaking at the Tuesday evening meeting, she emphasized her awareness of the financial strains that regular budget overrides can put on residents, specifically the elderly. Although Justice said that she supported the last two overrides, she asserted that they are “neither healthy nor sustainable.” As a member of the School Committee, she said, she will seek alternative revenue sources, such as federal and state grants and endowments.
Tom Phillippou of Stow Road and Patty Wenger of Westcott Road also volunteered to fill the vacancy on the school board. The selectmen first asked the School Committee members present to caucus and choose a nominee. They returned with a nomination of Justice, who was subsequently appointed to the position by a 5–3 vote by members of both boards. Justice said that at next spring’s annual town election, she will seek election to the School Committee.
