Steve Furtado Seeks Re-Election to School Board

Steve Furtado, incumbent ward two school committee member will seek re-election. “There are many important pending issues that I feel obligated to help bring to positive closure,” Furtado told the Reporter. “The budget commission has been a good watchdog for the city and together we have just about erased an accumulated school budget deficit of some $7 million. When I was first elected we faced many controversies and I see things beginning to settle down,” he said. Although a supporter of the state budget commission, Furtado sees the need for checks and balances. “When the commission wanted to end all day kindergarten across the board, we helped to convince them of the need to keep it intact for our families,” he said. “The commission’s work is necessary to our financial health and we also need a public voice to speak out on behalf of students, parents and vital school programs,” he said. Furtado also cited his support of city consolidation efforts. “I have supported this notion (consolidation) for many years. As a PTA leader and now on the school committee, I wanted this to happen. We are finally doing it with business, technology, finance, maintenance and soon Human Resources,” Furtado stated. Furtado doesn’t have an announced opponent at this point, although one may surface soon. Eric Zollo had previously said he was running for the ward 2 city council seat but has since indicated he may now run for the ward 2 school committee seat held by Furtado.