HOLYOKE — 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.
The two elected School Committee representatives for those wards have resigned from the board. Gustavo Romero of Ward 1, noted in his resignation letter to Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, “I am no longer able to devote the time and energy required to fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities.” Caballero-Roca of Ward 4 noted in her resignation letter that she had started a new job as Programs Director at Homework House, a nonprofit that “supports our students and helps them thrive academically and emotionally through our after-school programs.” In her letter of resignation, Caballero-Roca explains that the job “crosses the line of conflict of interest.”
Garcia, who is chair of the School Committee as well as Mayor, said, “I have enjoyed working with Gustavo and Gloria on the School Board. Their voices have been critical in getting us to where we are today with working on the transition to local control of our schools.” Mayor Garcia noted their departure will not interfere with the transition process, but he does want to move quickly with getting the seats filled so that the School Board can continue the forward momentum with their Capacity Building Plan for local control approved at their August 19 meeting.
According to the Holyoke City Charter, vacancies that are the result of departures will be filled by appointments made jointly by the School Committee, City Council, and the Mayor. The individuals appointed for these two vacancies will serve out the remainder of two-year terms as members of the committee. When those terms are up, the ward seats will be filled by the voters at a regular election.
Those interested are asked to send their letters of interest, accompanied by a resume to:
- City of Holyoke Personnel Office
20 Korean Veterans Plaza
Holyoke, MA 01040 - Letters of interest and resumes can also be submitted by email to personnel@holyoke.org.
Candidates will be interviewed at an October 2, 2024, joint meeting of the Holyoke School Committee, City Council, and Mayor. Applications will be accepted up until then, although candidates are encouraged to submit their interest sooner. The successful applicant will serve until succeeded at the next local election.