Amid jostling, school panels elect Waterson, Pisharody chairs
School Committee member Michael Williams lost four bids for a post while former members questioned the appointments.
The Acton-Carlisle Regional District School Committee has elected Brian Waterson chair and Tracey Marano vice chair. The K-8 Acton School Committee elected Sandeep Pisharody chair and Andrew Herchek vice chair at the June 3 joint meeting.
School Committee member Michael Williams was nominated for all four posts but came up short each time.
“It’s not really a surprise if you look over the course of my experiences over the past year,” he told The Acton Bridge. “I think it shows that there’s not room at the table for diversity of thought.”
Marano chaired the regional committee for the 2023-24 and 2025-26 school years. Herchek chaired the K-8 committee last year. Both Marano’s and Herchek’s terms end next year.
Drew Magliozzi, who was elected to the committees in April, nominated Williams for the regional chair role.
Williams, elected in 2025, highlighted priorities including academic achievement, transparency, and addressing antisemitism and bias. He said he has pushed for “a better, cleaner process and honest and open engagement with our community.”
Marano nominated Waterson, who was vice chair this past year and previously chaired the Carlisle School Committee.
In supporting his nomination, she said Waterson had represented the district on a variety of projects and that “his experience with negotiations and chairing meetings is going to be great for the region.”
The regional committee elected Marano vice chair after another Magliozzi nomination of Williams failed.
After the regional vote, members elected Pisharody chair of the K-8 committee.
‘Thoughtful and collaborative’
Herchek praised Pisharody’s work during his first year on the committee, saying he had brought “a thoughtful and collaborative approach to the work that we do.” Magliozzi had also nominated Williams for the K-8 chair role.
The K-8 vice chair vote also drew competing nominations. Again, Magliozzi nominated Williams. Pisharody nominated Herchek.
Pisharody, who was elected in 2025, told The Bridge that his nomination was not “about whether or not somebody’s qualified to do it.”
“What contributed to Andrew being chosen was the specific strengths that he brings to the role right now,” he said, explaining that he feels he agrees more with Williams on committee matters but wanted someone who could bring a different perspective.
Herchek’s nomination for vice-chair prompted chuckles and visible head-shaking from members of the audience, including former School Committee members Cynthia Rainey and Court Booth.
Rainey and Booth, along with Bob Grom, another former committee member in attendance, last month wrote in a Bridge letter to the editor that rotating School Committee leaders is “a time-honored and successful way” of bringing forward the interests of the entire community.
“I could argue that both of the individuals that were seated as chairs were appropriate for one reason or another,” Rainey said.
She said the issue lay with the vice chair appointments.
“The vice chair roles were then occupied by previous chairs, and one by a member who says they’re going off the committee,” Rainey said, referring to Marano’s intention not to run for reelection next year.
“It’s very important [that] the committee shares the work, so we each see them as sort of equals,” she said.
The committees are expected to make liaison assignments at their June 16 meeting.
