Thank you for allowing me to serve as one of Belfast’s representatives on the RSU 71 School Board since 2021. I am deeply grateful for the public support from teachers, elected officials from across the political spectrum, and community members alike. Although this year’s board campaign has been quieter than the national and state races, the impact on Belfast is profound.
About a year ago, Eric Sanders and I spoke about our roles in the City. The Mayor and I were opponents in 2015 in a race for City Council that got a bit heated toward the end. On election day, we realized that we agreed more often than not, that we shared many common interests, and we have been friends since. The conversation a year ago was focused on some of the major issues in the schools, and he asked me if I wished I had won that race for City Council instead of being on the school board. My answer then is the same as it is now: I am where I belong. My love of education and learning is deep and I have spent immeasurable hours researching how I can help our community provide a high-quality education to all of our students. I’m not a politician; I’m a parent— committed to serving our students, teachers, and community.
Two themes have emerged throughout this campaign: experience and the school environment.
Experience matters—and not only in education but in governance. My nearly decade of serving on a school board has given me a deep understanding of our district's complex issues, including Maine’s flawed Essential Programs and Services funding formula which often leaves communities like ours at a disadvantage. Our state funding system disproportionately favors consolidated or single-town systems; I have had to balance the needs of our students against the systemic bias against rural districts in Maine since I first joined the RSU 3 school board in 2011. Due to that bias, I've been forced to make difficult decisions on school consolidation, single bus runs, reduction in force, and many other budget adjustments to balance educational needs with fiscal responsibility. Saying you’ve made budgets is not the same as finding ways to adequately fund public schools with both hands tied behind your back. Knowing how to navigate the landmines of school funding is essential to the successful operation of public schools. It is something I have spent years learning about and putting into practice.
I believe a safe, inclusive school environment is essential for all students. During my terms, the board has taken a strong stance on student rights and free expression, enacting policies that protect these freedoms. Maine already has robust laws that protect students from discrimination, but our board has gone above and beyond to ensure that students know that our schools are safe places for each of them. I have supported these policies unequivocally and in my tenure our board has never voted against them. I've consistently supported initiatives to empower students, and I am proud of the culture we've fostered, one that respects each individual. The suggestion that I or any current Belfast representative would do otherwise is utterly false. Our focus is and should always be the safety of our children and delivering high quality education to every child. Our goal is to meet each student where they are, regardless of their background. We have mostly succeeded, but there is always room for improvement. We remain as focused on educational equity today as we have been the entirety of my time on the board. Should there be an attack on free expression or speech, you can rest assured that I will fiercely resist any attempt to make school less safe or welcoming to any of our students.
In addition to the theme of the campaign, there have been significant discussions in town about the drastic increases in property taxes. As Chair of the finance committee since 2021, I’ve prioritized keeping our portion of the tax increases as low as possible. We've avoided large budget hikes by implementing strategies such as dedicated reserve accounts which have allowed the district to maintain a safe level of contingency funds without needing to raise extra money year after year. We have been successful in securing state and federal funding for major projects, and accepting grants for experimental or progressive learning opportunities. Our district hasn’t needed to cut programs or defer maintenance due to financial constraints; instead, we’ve expanded staff and funded major maintenance projects. While many districts are seeing budget increases of upwards of 10%, our increase has generally stayed between 0% and 3.5%—even as inflation has risen beyond those levels. This careful budgeting is a point of significant pride for me and our board.
I am also a parent of two children currently in Belfast schools, giving me a firsthand view of how our decisions impact students, educators, and facilities. My experiences living here for over three decades, from attending Waldo County schools as a kid to working with RSU 71 staff as a parent and a board member, have helped me to understand and advocate for what educators and students need to succeed.
In the coming years, RSU 71 will need to make some major decisions on issues I have been intimately involved in. Issues including school consolidation, equitable town contributions to the district, hiring a permanent superintendent, investment in our existing facilities, and finding ways to reverse the rapid decline in enrollment in our schools. I have served on or chaired committees that address each of these issues. I believe I am uniquely qualified to make sound decisions on all of the issues I have listed. They are issues that will deeply impact our community and I feel that it is incredibly important that the right people are at the table.
It is my sincere hope that on Election Day, my accomplishments and experience will be enough to earn your vote to continue this work on the RSU 71 School Board. Thank you for your trust, and again, thank you for allowing me for the second time to seek reelection to this crucial role.
For more information, visit www.ryanharnden.com
