Meet Mirian Nawoichik

Apr 18, 2023

MARION — The race is on for two open seats on the Marion School Committee, and three local residents have declared their candidacy for the posts.

First-time candidate Mirian Nawoichik has joined the race for a seat on the Marion School Committee. She bills herself as someone who is running for “common sense” and “practical” choices.

Nawoichik is a volunteer with VASE, Volunteers at Sippican Elementary School, and has two young children in the school district.

According to Nawoichik, it was her volunteer work that opened her eyes to what it takes to not only provide programs and events for a school, but to keep everything running smoothly, from education to funding.

If elected to the Marion School Committee, Nawoichik hopes to bring more STEM programs to Sippican School.

“It's going to help them into high school and junior high,” she said. “Kids are like sponges as little kids, and if they're grasping this, they can move to the next level and help towards whatever education they want to do.”

This year, ten library books held in the Old Rochester Regional High School and Junior High Schools were challenged for alleged explicit content. This has sparked discussion over suitable in-school materials.

“At the end of the day, there’s more issues than a book issue,” she said. “If you’re focused on voting for someone [over the books] that’s a sad choice … there’s more issues in our education than just books.”

According to Nawoichik, she hopes to learn more about the funding and budgeting process in the school — but wants to look at the sources of funding received by the school and how that affects the district.

One issue that Nawoichik sees is a partisan divide in some school politics. She hopes that school committee members can put politics aside and focus on the children.

“It’s wrong we are mixing political views into our kids' education,’ she said. “When it comes down to it, we need to do what's right for our kids' future. I’m not running as a political party, I’m running for the right decisions for our kids' education.”

According to Nawoichik, the greatest strength of the Marion school district is how “well-rounded” it is, allowing students to explore their interests inside and outside of the classroom.

“We’re encouraging them,” she said. “I see a spark in a child, let’s push them and let them explore it.”

Nawoichik is facing incumbents Mary Beauregard and Nichole Nye McGaffey for two seats on the Marion School Committee in the town election on Friday, May 12.