Lisa Rapaport

Why I’m Running

I truly believe that schools are the heartbeat of our community. I’ve volunteered in schools since my oldest, now a senior at PHS, was in kindergarten. Over the years, I’ve served as PTA president at Little Harbour, Portsmouth Middle School, and Portsmouth High School. Through all of my volunteer work, I’ve built strong relationships with many parents, teachers, and administrators. I’m running for reelection to the school board for the same reason I volunteer: because I genuinely believe that excellent schools can transform lives and help build strong communities. 

During my time on the school board I’ve consistently advocated for more transparency in budgeting and strategic planning and better communication because I genuinely believe schools are stronger when more people can provide feedback on what’s working well and what needs to be fixed. I’ve also tried my best to advocate for students who sometimes get overlooked in school policies – including kids with disabilities and learning differences, English learners, and LGBTQ+ youth. As founder and chair of our Legislative Committee, I do my best to ensure that Portsmouth has a voice in Concord to advocate for fair school funding, local control of school curriculum and policies, and freedom for teachers to address complex topics and encourage debate in their classrooms without fear of losing their jobs. 

While many things about our schools are excellent, there are still many challenges ahead for our board to address. The top three in my mind are:

• Finding creative ways to keep more special education students at our local schools so they can learn close to home, be included in our community, and cost our taxpayers less money on out-of-district placements. 
• Revisiting our redistricting plan to see if we can better balance class sizes and create more equitable spaces across all three elementary schools, a process that will likely require targeted renovations at New Franklin. 
• Advocating for school budgets that prioritize curriculum improvements, teaching positions, and increased counseling and mental health support for students. 

As my own teenagers rapidly approach adulthood, I often reflect on the teachers who inspired me to dream big in my own life and who helped me see possibilities that I couldn’t envision on my own. I’m a first-generation American, a product of public K-12 schools, and got my undergraduate degree from SUNY Buffalo and my masters degree from UC Berkeley. I want our schools in Portsmouth to give every kid the same fantastic start in life that I got from my own education. That’s why I’m running for reelection. I hope to earn your vote on November 4th.