Table of Contents
How many years have you lived in Winchester? 14 years
Please describe your professional background and education.
Large animal veterinarian, licensed in Massachusetts
Assistant vice president of finance, Ford Motor Company in the Philippines
Interpreter/translator, Dai-Ichi Seimei Life Insurance Company, Tokyo, Japan
English teacher, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Nagoya, Japan
Education:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Master of Business Administration, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, English, Vanderbilt University
Advanced Japanese, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
What Winchester town positions (appointed or elected) have you held, and for how long?
School Committee chair, 2024-25, 2021-22; member since 2019 (elected)
Town meeting member, 2012-present (elected)
Facilities Master Plan Phase I Enrollment Update working group: 2024-present
Housing Production Plan Update working group member: 2023-24
Field Management committee member: 2024-present, 2021-22
Can you share any volunteer work or civic engagement experiences that have shaped your perspective and prepared you for this role? I understand how important it is for our schools and community to reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of all our students and families. I have worked hard in all my roles in the town and schools to listen to our community members and build strong relationships with local and state officials.
Coalition for a Safer Community member, 2022-present
Board of advisors, Winchester Community Music School, 2024-present
Board of trustees & governance committee chair, WCMS, 2018-2024
Multiple volunteer roles including school councils (elected), enrichment committee chair, McCall & Vinson Owen schools
Founder/co-chair: V-O School's International Night, 2016-2022
Chair of science park & butterfly garden, V-O, 2013-2022
Participant: civic discussion groups for Town of Winchester, 2016-2018
What are the primary issues motivating your candidacy? As a parent, I understand the importance of meeting the diverse needs of all our students and families. I've worked hard to listen to our community and to build strong relationships with officials. This helps me to make well-informed decisions toward obtaining the resources and support our district needs. I believe in providing opportunities for every student, whether in academics, sports, special education or arts and music to allow them to explore their passions and reach their full potential.
I also take fiscal responsibility seriously and recognize the tax burden on our residents. I'm committed to making sure our budget supports our priorities — making our excellent schools even stronger and keeping them financially sustainable in the town over the long term. That's why I am excited to collaborate on the five-year strategic business plan, Winchester 2030.
School Committee-specific questions:
Given the FY2025 budget discussions, what measures would you propose to manage the budget effectively while protecting educational quality? I have advocated for a long-term, planful approach to budgeting and am excited to participate in developing the five-year strategic plan and budget, Winchester 2030, to ensure sustainable growth and success. I have worked with the superintendent, district leadership, the School Committee and community stakeholders to prioritize critical needs for the district over the long term in staffing, programming, professional development and school facilities.
What is your stance on updating the current curriculum, particularly regarding literacy and math, and how would you implement these changes? I fully support the superintendent's approach to addressing literacy, which places the district's elementary educators, leaders and literacy specialists at the center of identifying the most appropriate instructional materials, assessments and professional development for our students and staff. Making the right strategic and funding decisions takes time and careful work. This Elementary Literacy Team is currently reviewing several options, which will be piloted in 2025-26. After evaluating the results, the team will bring its recommendations to the School Committee for review and action. This process-driven approach will also guide any major decisions on math or any other strand of the curriculum.
If Winchester had to reduce the School budget, which program would you definitely keep and which ones would you cut? (Highest and lowest priority.) District finance staff have thoroughly reviewed historical trends and scrutinized each line item in the preliminary level services budget the School Committee voted in late January. The superintendent continues to work closely with faculty, principals, the Budget Subcommittee and the community to bring prioritized recommendations to the School Committee that align with the district's goals. The School Committee will vote a final recommended budget incorporating those priorities on March 13.
Town Meeting votes the school committee's overall budget and does not cut specific programs or line items. In the unfortunate event that Town Meeting were to vote to reduce the school budget, the School Committee and I would have to make some hard decisions about the superintendent's recommended priorities for the district. The majority of our budget consists of personnel and contractual obligations so any reduction would have a significant impact on the district's ability to deliver the high-quality education to our students that our community expects.
Have questions for Maruyama Bolognese? Contact her at winchesterforkaren.com, karen@winchesterforkaren.com, Facebook (Karen Maruyama Bolognese - School Committee) and Instagram (kmaruyam1).
