Letter: Manfredi, Wade deserve votes for their support of education

By Christine Dickinson

In November of 2016, the voters of Maricopa passed a maintenance and operations override for our school district. Voters were educated on the three main goals of this override:

1. Lower class sizes through the hiring new educators

2. Increase instructional technology

3. Allow for expanded instructional programs including an alternative high school program at Maricopa High School.

No one worked harder on the override campaign than Councilmember Vincent Manfredi.

Vince arranged for weekly meetings, which were often attended by fellow Councilman Henry Wade and Constable Bret Roberts (candidate for LD11 House seat), but meetings were just the tip of the iceberg for this campaign. Councilmember Manfredi organized fundraisers, phone banks, social media coverage and neighborhood canvassing. Vince sacrificed time with his family to help Maricopa organize and run an effective campaign.

The override positions were filled prior to the beginning of the 2017 school year and helped to lower the class sizes in MUSD and provide for support positions within the District. Nearly 600 student laptops were purchased and ready to use on the first day of the school year. RAM Academy was also up and running for students seeking an alternative program for graduation within Maricopa Unified.

None these accomplishments would not have been possible without the hard work of Councilman Manfredi and the team.

I was proud to be the staff liaison for the election that year and see the countless hours that Vince put into the campaign. I am proud of the partnership that City Council has formed with our schools to strengthen community involvement in our schools. I am also proud to see Councilmember Wade at nearly every School Board meeting I attend.

With all of this said I am so proud to see two of our councilmembers being so involved in our schools in so many facets. In case you did not know, they have also served on our annual MUSD20 District Budget Committees, attend many extra-curricular activities and donate time to our schools.

I am proud to vote for incumbents Henry Wade and Vincent Manfredi for Maricopa City Council and ask everyone to do the same.

Christine Dickinson is a technology integration specialist at MUSD.