Sarah Sadowski, Concord Board Of Education Candidate

Patch Candidate Profile, Sarah Sadowski

Age (as of Sept. 1, 2024)

Town or City of Residence

Position Sought

At Large School Board Seat

My husband Jon and I live in East Concord with our four kids. We have a Sophomore at CHS, an eighth grader at Rundlett, and a fifth and a third grader at Broken Ground.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Souhegan High School, BA from University of New Hampshire, MA from Clark University in International Development

I served in the Peace Corps and then shifted to nonprofits, where I've worked for over 15 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Campaign website

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our kids deserve safe schools where they can focus on learning. However, the middle school decision process, coupled with the fact that the district is still paying down debt on Rundlett, has resulted in clear public opposition to the current plan. We have new information about this project: it currently has limited public support. If elected, I support revisiting this decision.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have frequent experiences with three different schools in the district and understand what district policies look like at the student level for different types of learners. I am also likely the candidate most versed in disability law and policy and probably spend the most time chaperoning and volunteering at school-sponsored events.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

The middle school project is only one of many issues! Throughout my career, I have focused on using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that support children and families. Right now, too many families in our district are struggling. Over 100 children are receiving services related to homelessness, often driven by the high cost of housing. We can harness the power of evidence-based policy-making and invest where it matters. Low student-teacher ratios and students feeling a sense of belonging and that they matter are proven ways to support our students, no matter the challenges they face. I am also very interested in the way state-level policies impact local decision-making, growing civic engagement, and fostering trust and communication between the community and the school district.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this position?

I've had to make difficult decisions as a supervisor and been a dissenting vote on boards I have served on. I wrote the successful $330,000 Preschool Development Grant that the district received in 2020. I worked to set up internet hotspots for students who were remote during COVID. I've successfully worked on teams where I had a different opinion from those around me and deliberately worked to improve my listening skills. I've won awards for board service and for championing issues for kids- but what matters most is that I work hard, listen, and know that I don't know everything.

The best advice ever shared with me was...

I was facing a moment early in my career where I enjoyed providing youth after-school programming but was worried about the challenges some students faced. Rev. David Keller shared the Desmond Tutu quote, "There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in." That influenced me to look at how systems and policies impact youth and families. All these years later, I still love working on policy issues!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The top three values that I would draw on in this work are transparency, stewardship, and communication. I am grateful to this community for so much and would be honored to represent the whole city and all our kids on the board. Please check out my campaign website at and let me know what matters most to you. Thank you for reading, and please vote for Sadowski on Nov. 5!