Mattapoisett candidate Richard Reilly is running for a seat on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee.

According to Reilly, he is running for a seat on the Committee for four main reasons: to improve the quality of education in the district, improve accountability for the school budget, improve the safety of schools and encourage more family involvement.

Reilly said he is running for election because he “would like to give back to the community and school system that gave me and my family so much.”

A 62-year resident of Mattapoisett, Reilly graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School in 1973. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2018 as a three-sport athlete, playing football, track and hockey.

“Old Rochester Regional High School gave me a top-notch education that put me on a path to a successful career,” he said.

If elected, Reilly said he “will work to encourage family involvement and increase the Bulldog Spirit in our schools.”

“I believe that family involvement and transparency into the classroom, and the curriculum, is critical to high educational outcomes,” he said.

Additionally, Reilly said he is “very concerned that our education standards are slipping.”

Reilly said that as the owner of FME Technologies, a laser-cutting service in Mattapoisett that does business internationally, he has “discovered that [students from the United States] are having a tough time competing against international students for college entrance and job opportunities.”

“A primary reason is because United States education has fallen behind,” he continued. “I want to do all I can to see to it that Old Rochester Regional School District has high educational standards so our graduates can compete in the global marketplace.”

Reilly, a seven-year Marine Corps veteran, said he also aims to improve school security if elected.

“A safe and secure school must be taken as a high priority,” he said.

In a video recorded with ORCTV, Reilly said that “school is supposed to be a safe zone for all children, an extension of your home.”

Finally, Reilly said that he intends to focus on improving the school’s budget.

“I want to be sure we are using our educational tax dollars efficiently. That means we must have budget accountability,” said Reilly. “As the owner of two businesses in town, I understand and know how to ensure we are spending our resources wisely.”

In addition to FME Technologies, Reilly and his wife Melanie Reilly own Lighthouse Learning Center in Mattapoisett.

This year, ten library books held in the Old Rochester Regional High School and Junior High Schools were challenged for alleged explicit content. This has sparked discussion over suitable in-school materials.

Reilly did not provide a statement on this topic.

In a video recorded with ORCTV, Reilly said that his two major rules for life are to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and second is to love your neighbor as yourself.”