Meet the Middleboro School Committee candidate Leah Machado

MIDDLEBORO — Leah Machado is running for a Middleboro School Committee seat to relieve tension she sees between district parents and the committee by “transforming” how the groups interact with each other.

Machado has lived in Middleboro since 2020, and has three children who attend the Mary K. Goode Elementary School and Memorial Early Childhood Center.

She said the school system was one of the reasons why her family moved to Middleboro, and if elected she wants to improve the relationship between the school committee and parents — since she has often felt unheard when raising concerns to the committee.

“It's frustrating to sit in the audience of a school committee meeting and, as a parent, not to feel heard when this is something that impacts my children and other children directly,” Machado said.

Machado volunteers in the Mary K. Goode Parent Teacher Association and has been on the School Council for two years. She said the council has given her background knowledge on how school curriculums and programs are created, and has overall given her a primer on how to serve on the school committee.

If elected, Machado said removing the three-minute rule for public comment is the peak of her priorities. She said she wants to bring dialogue to meetings so parents have more insight into the outcomes of the district’s decisions.

“We need more voices,” Machado said. “I feel like people aren't going to be so angry all the time if they have that.”

If elected to the committee, she said she plans to make herself available to parents by giving her personal contact information to anyone who has questions and use her experience in being a parent to bolster the connection with district families.

Machado has a masters in nursing from Southern New Hampshire University, and has been a nurse for 23 years. She currently works at an area hospital as a director of patient case management.   

“My husband always says he feels bad for whoever has to deal with me if I'm advocating for somebody — because if something needs to get done, I get it done,” she said.

Concerning the district's next superintendent, Machado said the district needs a leader who has worked as an educator, and has strong communication and budgetary skills.

Machado said the first she heard of the district's $2.2 million deficit was when the district was already in it. She said she wants to see more collaboration between town leaders and the district, and to have parents “in the loop” before major issues arise.

“Let's get that out there early and have a continuous conversation about it so it doesn't creep up on everybody,” she said.

Machado said removing the 3-minute-rule could make meetings last longer, and could be “agonizing” for the committee and attendees, but said the benefits of increased public comment could build back the trust between parents and the committee she says has been lost in recent years.

“I've been that parent at a school committee meeting who is out of their mind because I'm so angry. Nobody should have to feel that,” Machado said.