Alicia Piedalue was elected to the open Ward 7 Newton School Committee seat in a special municipal election held on March 18.
“I am thrilled to be joining the School Committee,” Piedalue wrote in a statement to The Heights. “There is so much good work to be done – and many challenges to take on.”
Piedalue ran uncontested but had endorsements from community members and current councilors. Her website features support from the President of Newton City Council and mayoral candidate Marc Laredo, Newton School Committee member Barry Greenstein, and former Ward 7 school committee member Amy Davenport.
Davenport previously held the Ward 7 seat but was forced to vacate after moving from the city, triggering the special election for her replacement.
The city charter requires a special election for an open School Committee seat if that seat is vacated within the first 15 months of a term. Davenport started her term on Jan. 1, 2024, and was no longer eligible by August.
As a result, Ward 7 has been without a Newton School Committee representative for nearly seven months.
The City of Newton spent $183,395 on the special election, of which around $80,000 went toward worker wages, including police details, election workers’ pay, and overtime wages.
Polls were open across the city from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day, and early voting took place the week prior. Residents from all wards were allowed to vote.
Of Newton’s 59,345 registered voters, 3,800, or 6.4 percent, voted in Tuesday’s special election, according to unofficial results.
Piedalue won 3,667, or 96.5 percent, of the vote.
A total of 80 votes were cast as write-ins, and 53 ballots were left blank.
Piedalue is a mother of four and has professional experience in organizational health and talent management, and she has served on multiple public and private school governance boards.
Piedalue expressed her gratitude toward everyone who contributed to her campaign.
“I am deeply grateful to the community members, educators, and families who have taken time to share their NPS experiences and opinions with me during this campaign,” said Piedalue.
In her bid, Piedalue’s platform championed inclusive programming to meet every student’s needs, regardless of how those needs might manifest. Piedalue hopes to contribute to making the school system she believes students deserve.
“I hope that engagement only grows and that we come together to forge the school system our children and community deserve,” said Piedalue.
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