Shaun Mastroianni (R): Old Lyme Candidate for Region 18 Board of Education
Biography:
I reside in Old Lyme with my husband, Antonio, and daughter, Sophia, who attends the Old Lyme school system. We chose to live in Old Lyme because of its unique small-town school system, where my grandmother taught for over 30 years prior to her retirement. I come from generations of school teachers—my grandparents, mother, and now my sister.
I have a bachelors in Science in Business Administration.
I have been a very active member of my community, serving on many committees and boards. Previously, I was on the Board of Education in Chester, Connecticut, before moving to Old Lyme.
1. Why are you running for the Region 18 Board of Education, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?
I am running for the Board of Education because I will be an active member that can use my current and past experiences as a key member of the board. I have been a resident of Old Lyme for 2 years and a key factor in our choice to live here was because of the unique small-town school system, where my grandmother taught for over 30 years prior to her retirement. My goal is not to be a disruptor but a productive, contributing member focused on maintaining and enhancing our excellent schools. The school system and Board of Education have a lot to be proud of. In 2025 the Lyme-Old Lyme High School ranked 8th in Connecticut and 415th nationally. The Lyme-Old Lyme School District ranked 9th for the best teachers and 22 in best school districts. Having rankings like this does not come easily but comes from the hard work of many groups, students, teachers, administrators, Board of Education members and parents. I am eager to be part of the team that continues this success.
I believe I am the right candidate for this role. Once the election is over, the focus must shift from politics to governance. A well-balanced Board of Education should include a diverse group of individuals: parents with children in the schools, current or former educators, and community members with other specialized skills.
As a former Board of Education member in Chester, CT, I will bring that direct experience to Old Lyme. Furthermore, my professional experience running a $26 million company has given me a strong business acumen in budgeting, human resources, and staff development. A school district is a complex organization, and its leadership should reflect a diverse collection of skills and perspectives. I am confident that my background will be a valuable asset to the board and the community.
2. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Region 18 over the next four years?
That is a difficult question to answer fully without being an active Board of Education member with access to the specific documents, conversations, and meetings of the school district. In my business experience, it would be poor practice to identify an organization’s top challenges before joining its leadership team. Therefore, rather than focusing on trendy topics like school safety—a goal we all share—I will speak from my personal experience and the conversations I’ve had with residents while knocking on doors.
Residents are proud of our schools, so the challenge would be how do we maintain that status. One component that is important to many is maintaining the level of quality teachers. While it is becoming a competitive market for teachers, we should ask ourselves how the school district will maintain our current staff. How will the school district invest in our teachers to help them achieve their professional goals inclusive of the school district’s goals? How will the school district show their appreciation to the teachers while maintaining a balanced budget?
Secondly, evaluating the curriculum and ensuring it meets the needs of the students to prepare them for the world when they graduate is a part of the challenge of maintaining the high success level of the school system. There has been an increase in the needs of professionals in the trade businesses, like electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, dental hygienists, farmers, mechanics. Do we have a current program that promotes this career path?
Lastly, the challenge of maintaining the high level of success in our schools is linked to maintaining an appropriate balanced budget. The budget is a constant topic in any well run business. The budget is an important road map that assists the administration to maintain the school’s physical plant, staff, and success of its students. We spent $24,303 per student in 2023-2024, is this enough to maintain our success or are there other schools having better success, spending less per student? We need to ensure the proper funding is maintained to ensure the success of our students.
3. How can the school board help keep costs under control while maintaining the district’s reputation for academic excellence and extracurricular opportunities?
This topic is one that many face in any type of successful business or school district. The key to the success of this achievement is linked to people.
Teachers: Having dedicated teachers and professionals at schools who are engaged, have a drive for successful results, and the initiative for self-improvement and learning is important.
Administrators: Having administrators that are hands on, seeking the latest trends within the education industry, and maintaining the daily operations of the schools is important.
Parents: Having engaged parents that send their kids to school ready to learn, support their academic work at home, and provide a strong foundation for success is important.
Community members: Having a town of residents who understand the value of investing in our kids and our school system through their taxes is important.
Ultimately, controlling costs while maintaining the quality of our schools is a direct result of the commitment from the people who live in Old Lyme and the excellent professionals who choose to work here.
4. Amid the ongoing national debate over parents’ rights, how should the Board of Education handle conflicts between parents and the district over curriculum, instruction, learning materials or student support?
The Board of Education is a group of elected officials with three functions:
- establishes school policies
- creates and approves a budget
- hires and evaluates the Superintendent
The Superintendent is a skilled professional hired to manage the day-to-day operations of the school. I believe that as a Board of Education member I will trust this professional to maintain the curriculum, appropriate learning material, and ensure the students are receiving the support they require. As a past board member in a school system and many non-profits’ organizations, the board should be the last resort to an issue that cannot be resolved. The chain of command should be followed. For example, if a parent has a concern, it should be brought to the teacher’s attention. If the parent believes it has not been resolved, then they should seek assistance from the principal. If the issue has still not been resolved to the satisfaction of the parent, the Superintendent should be contacted. I speak from a personal experience from last year. I had concerns about my daughter’s teacher’s communication style, that was not corrected after bringing it to her attention. I went to the next level; Principal Allison Hines and the issue was resolved. The chain of command works and should be utilized first. Secondly, the school system is a policy driven system, so if there are concerns about parents’ rights, it will most likely be related to a policy that the parent should request through the chain of command to be reviewed. The Superintendent should bring any recommendations of policy changes to the Board of Education. I do not believe it is the board’s duty to get involved in the day-to-day operations of the school.
The board’s duty is to ensure that the school district is well managed and effective in its mission to our students, while inspiring the Superintendent and staff to maintain a high level of education for our kids.