LAKEVILLE — Lakeville resident Brynna Donahue has been elected by the Lakeville Select Board and the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee to fill the vacancy on the school committee.

A seat on the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee became available after long-time Lakeville educator Sherri Barron resigned from her post on the regional school committee on Wednesday, June 14.

A ballot election was held with votes taken by the three members of the Lakeville Select Board and three Lakeville members of the regional school committee during a Lakeville Select Board meeting on Monday, July 10.

Donahue won the election with four votes. The other candidate, Lakeville resident Crystal Ng, received two votes.

Select board and school committee members cast their ballots privately, so individual votes are not known. 

According to Select Board Chair Brian Day, the short-term position will end in April 2024, when a regular election will be held.

Before the nominees were given a chance to speak about their experience, Select Board member Evagelia Fabian addressed Barron’s resignation. 

“I would like to thank Sherri Barron for her unbelievable care and commitment to our kids, parents and schools,” said Fabian. 

Ng spoke on her experience working in education, specifically with creating individualized education programs for students and special education.

Ng said that in her current role as a Family Partner for Bay State Community Services, she works “with parents of mentally ill children [by] getting them the services that they need.”

She also discussed her recent frustrations with the Regional School Committee.

“When they had the 10 best students in the district, it was overshadowed by someone's personal life from the school committee and I thought that was a shame,” she said. “But we're here to work on the issues that are affecting the kids and I feel like we've lost focus on that.”

Donahue spoke on her experience growing up in the Freetown-Lakeville school district and as a transgender person. 

According to Donahue’s resumé, she has experience as a manager at Le Central Bistro and as a worker for Nature’s Pantry. 

“I feel that it's important to have someone who is transgender on the committee actually offering a point of view that nobody else on the committee has,” she said. “I have no problem being your token, because I have an experience that you’re going to be discussing that will affect students and children.”

When asked about the loss, Ng said that she was “disappointed.”

“I let my resume and my letters of recommendation speak for themselves,” said Ng.