Letter to the editor of the independent

“LET’S MOVE NK FORWARD”

My name is Megan Reilly, and I am running for School Committee in North Kingstown. Growing up with a teacher and a lawyer for parents, the importance of education was instilled in me at a young age. I turned that passion into a career as an educator after receiving my M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Providence College. Now that I am a mother to four school-aged children, my dedication to and appreciation for the education field has only grown.

My advocacy to provide excellent educational opportunities to all NK students began in earnest the year after we moved into town. A group of parents had organized to request that full-day Kindergarten be implemented within our district and I joined in, firmly believing that this was the best course of action for our students. After a great deal of time and effort on our part, the request was approved, beginning in the 2015-16 school year.

In 2021, when the Aaron Thomas story came to light, I was deeply affected by the accounts of students who had been harmed by a trusted adult and coach. Within days, I privately reached out to the man who had first come forward. I became privy to stories I would never wish on anyone, let alone our innocent children. When I became aware of how prevalent sexual abuse of minors at the hands of “trusted” adults was, I immediately began to do anything I could as a private citizen to ensure that no other child in our district and state ever had to live through such a nightmare.

My advocacy for the safety and well-being of these students included speaking out at various municipal meetings, testifying at the State House multiple times, writing to our Town, School and state officials to demand change, and even requesting that they make a resolution for each April to be recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in both the District and the Town, which passed after a year’s worth of effort. I started two Facebook pages to provide transparency for residents that was not being provided by our school officials at that time. Through those pages, many residents reached out to me privately to share their experiences and stories and to ask for help in speaking out when they felt they couldn’t. I never turned a single one of them away. And I was part of a vocal group of RI citizens and parents who helped ensure that our legislators finally passed a sexual assault bill in 2022 that further protects 14-18 year olds from any sexual assault by a person in a position of authority.

Over the last three years, I have also pushed our administration and school committee officials to provide more funding for basic school supplies (a request that they have slowly started to take into consideration). I have vocally pressed for more transparency and called on school officials to stop forcing residents to file public records requests any time they had questions, a practice which cost taxpayers much more than was necessary in legal fees. I have also spoken out and offered many suggestions on how our district can become more fiscally responsible so as to be able to properly provide for our students and teachers while simultaneously respecting taxpayer dollars.

When my youngest started kindergarten, I could have chosen to return to work elsewhere, but wanted to substitute in North Kingstown so I could make a difference in our own community. I saw the need that existed and chose to help by bringing my own educational background and institutional knowledge into the schools at which I subbed. It has been a pleasure getting to know and work with students and faculty all across the district, and I enjoy all the greetings I get when we run into each other at various locations around town.

I decided to run for school committee because it seemed the next logical step to positively contributing to North Kingstown. I hope that I have helped prove to residents that one person speaking out can make a significant difference and can lead others to better advocate for themselves and their children. Every decision I make is guided by my desire to make my family proud and to set a good example for both my own children and those with whom I come into contact. I have worked hard as a private citizen to make a positive impact on our town; imagine how much more I could accomplish if elected to the school committee.

If you would like to learn more about me, please visit meg4nksc.com. Thank you and here’s to moving NK forward!

Megan Reilly
Candidate for School Committee
North Kingstown