After two years in which the school mascot dominated the Rutland school board’s discussions, the city mayor said he wants to nominate a commissioner who will bring balance to the board, seek greater accountability from students and focus on strengthening local education.
At a public meeting last week, Mayor David Allaire said he is leaning toward nominating recent school board candidate Bob Pearo Jr. to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Commissioner Brittany Cavacas.
Pushback started even before Allaire announced Cavacas’ resignation and his preference for Pearo at a Board of Aldermen’s meeting on May 16.
Before Allaire spoke that evening, some community members went up to the podium to advocate for Marisa Kiefaber, a schoolteacher who placed fifth in the race for four open board seats this March. They emphasized that Kiefaber lost by only five votes and that her selection would uphold the democratic process.
Pearo, a local businessman, placed sixth in the race. The pair ran under opposing political slates, with Pearo’s group in support of Rutland High School’s “Raiders” mascot after it was briefly changed to “Ravens.”
Kiefaber appeared at the Aldermen’s meeting, saying she’d told Allaire of her interest in the vacant school commissioner position. “I encourage Mayor Allaire to please follow the voters and appoint me,” she said.
Cavacas resigned in a May 11 letter that Allaire read at the meeting, citing work and health reasons.
Pearo’s supporters, meanwhile, point to the fact that his children have gone to Rutland City schools, saying he understands the challenges that the district faces and is willing to step up.
On Monday, Allaire said he plans to take the entire time allowed under the law before submitting his final choice to the school board. He has until Wednesday — 14 days after Cavacas’ resignation — to make up his mind.
“I have actually left my options open,” the mayor said in an interview Monday, “and I am going to make that announcement on Wednesday afternoon.”
Allaire said he is looking for a nominee who will bring stability and balance to the 11-person board, following the heated debate on the school mascot. In October 2020, the board voted to retire the Raiders moniker after a group of students, staff and alumni expressed concern about racism in the mascot’s origins.
Allaire said he wants someone who will help move the Rutland public school system forward by providing educators and students the necessary support and oversight.
“The last year or two has been very troubling and disruptive over at the school board,” he said. “There’s been a number of argumentative occasions where it doesn’t seem as though the business of the school board has been conducted.”
Allaire said he also wants to find someone who will hold students accountable when they misbehave, showing there are consequences for their actions.
The school board will officially receive Allaire’s nomination at its next regular meeting, which is scheduled for June 14. Commissioners will then vote on the nominee at the following meeting, in August, according to board Chair Alison Notte.
The board can reject Allaire’s nominee by a supermajority vote of seven commissioners, according to the Rutland City charter. In that case, the mayor could submit another name under the same process.
If the second nominee is again voted down, the school board makes the appointment, without the need for the mayor’s consent.
Notte said that historically, the mayor receives a recommendation from the superintendent and board chair. But when she and Superintendent Bill Olsen reached out to Allaire with their recommendation for Cavacas’ replacement, Notte said they learned that the mayor “was planning to nominate someone different, regardless of the district leadership recommendations.”
Olsen said the school district’s priorities include helping students recover from the disruptions brought by the coronavirus pandemic. Administrators are also continually working on a clear and viable curriculum, improving teaching methods and refining the assessment of student progress, he said.
Olsen said he understands that discussions about school mascots are complicated and can take time. During this period, he said the school board provided the district with leadership and support.
The board has tabled further discussion of Rutland’s mascot until this summer, after the Legislature passed a related bill earlier this month.
S.139 is intended to ban racist and offensive school mascots. It would direct the Vermont Agency of Education to create a state policy for school branding, including mascots, logos and sports teams, by this August. The bill is awaiting Gov. Phil Scott’s action.
