MIDDLEBURY — Allison Stanger, a professor of international politics and economics at Middlebury College, will serve as Middlebury’s newest representative on the UD-3 school board.
Stanger takes a spot on the board most recently held by Quinn Mecham, who stepped down this past summer when he relocated with his family to Utah. It’s the role of the ID-4 board — which governs Mary Hogan Elementary School — to appoint replacements for any Middlebury vacancies on the UD-3 board, which represents Middlebury Union middle and high schools.
The ID-4 board picked Stanger over fellow candidate Jane Kimble on Wednesday following interviews and a secret ballot vote. Kimble is an institutional researcher at Middlebury College and is co-chair of the Middlebury Elementary School Association at the Mary Hogan School.
“The reason I am here is that I am a huge believer in the importance of equal access to quality education,” Stanger told the ID-4 board during her interview. “I think it’s the bedrock of democracy and quality of opportunity in this country, and I myself am a huge beneficiary of public education.”
The daughter of a schoolteacher, Stanger attended public schools before attending Ball State University and then being admitted to Harvard University, where she received ample financial aid on the way to earning her doctorate in political science.
“I am deeply concerned that in this country, this is no longer going to be possible,” she said of educational experiences like hers.
Stanger said she believed her professional experience could prove to be an asset for the UD-3 board.
“As a professor of political science, I am well acquainted with the issues of public policy, especially the impact of privatization of government programs, so I might have some interesting insights to contribute,” she said.
Stanger’s daughter, Hannah, graduated from MUHS in 2012, while her son Jakub just began his freshman year at the same school.
ID-4 board members thanked Kimble and Stanger for applying for the position and encouraged them to stay active in civic affairs. Stanger will serve out Mecham’s term until it expires this coming March, at which time she and other interested parties will be able to run for a new, three-year term.
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].