By Penny Wooden, Class of ’27 – Staff Writer

Allan Motenko is a charismatic, lighthearted man who can light up any room he is in – which is one of the many reasons why he was voted onto the School Committee in Sharon, Massachusetts. 

After the May 21 town election, Ms. Lori Ayotte, the Sharon High journalism teacher, invited Motenko to school to let her Intro to Journalism class interview him on the recent election. After the interview, many of the students were clearly in a better mood, with freshman Charlotte Trivedi saying how she “thinks everyone likes him.”

Motenko grew up in Sharon, graduated from the old high school in 2002, and still says “the essence of the place hasn’t changed, just walking down the streets feels like home.” Even though Motenko moved back to Sharon after 18 years of not being here, he still has a glint of love in his eyes when he talks about the high school. How he “wanted to be here” and how it’s his “backyard.”

As for his run for School Committee, Motenko shed light on how “sometimes you take a risk and it works out.” 

Despite the fact that Motenko wasn’t originally planning on running, once he saw the three open seats up for the taking he knew this was his time.

And he was determined.

“ALLAN MOTENKO” was posted on signs all around the Sharon High School during the election on May 21. With Motenko greeting everyone who walked in, with the heat sweltering at almost 85 degrees fahrenheit, his dedication shined through. When asked about it, he laughs, “The overarching memory of that day will be heat mixed with anxiety. How’s that for a quote?” 

Motenko’s stance on some school district issues: 

Funding for a DEI Administrator

There have been issues with the budget for years. One of the related budget questions asked to all the candidates from Sharon Interfaith Action was if they would always fund the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) administrative position in the district should be cut from the budget. The candidates running had a variety of differing opinions, but Motenko was in favor of always funding a DEI director. He talks about how it is a critically important job, and he “supports the position and will always support the position.”

Special Education: A Priority

In his interview, Motenko spoke about how his mother and he had to fight to have the special education services that he needed in his years before attending Sharon High School. 

On his campaign website, he writes, “As a student, I had an IEP from the Early Childhood Center through to SHS graduation. I had multiple physical disabilities and learning deficits. My family and I worked closely with both building and district-wide Special Education staff. My experience was mixed: sometimes I got the services I needed, and sometimes I did not. In those instances, substantial advocacy was required.” 

The Budget

“The problem, [the budget], is the exact same problem as when I was a student,” Motenko comments. The budget was and still is the biggest issue for the School Committee, Motenko says. He added that when times are good the budget is good, but when the budget needs more money, the School Committee either cuts the budget or raises taxes. Motenko says, “we haven’t been able to resolve this fundamental challenge in 20 years.”

Academic Calendar Changes

One decision that the old School Committee made was to remove some holidays from the school calendar, and many residents were upset by it. Although Motenko thought that the School Committee was trying their best to achieve some kind of equity without lengthening the school  calendar year, he says, “The road to hell is paved by good intentions.” The School Committee was trying to do the right thing, but ended up making the situation worse because now a couple of holidays have been added back because of potential staffing issues; many residents who wanted additional holidays to be added to represent the town’s diversity are frustrated. 

Ultimately, Motenko would like to see more cultural holidays added into the academic calendar. Celebrating diversity is not just a campaign issue for him – he lives out this philosophy daily, including in his workplace, the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity in the Department of Revenue. There, he allows people to love where they work and “feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.” Motenko beamed that “everyday is different, that’s what I like about my job.” Monteko works in a place that allows people to embrace who they are without worrying that someone will judge them for being themselves. 

Before wrapping up their interview with Motenko, Ms. Ayotte’s class asked him one more question, about what he loves most about the town.

“My favorite part about Sharon? It’s home.”