Five-Day Grassroots Campaign Wins Barsamian School Committee Seat

Despite just a, Jennifer Barsamian earned a seat on the Dedham School Committee Saturday night.

Barsamian received 784 votes, second most among the four major candidates receiving votes.

"I was overwhelmed by the support - this was a community win. This was not about me," Barsamian said Saturday night. "This was about [784] people who came out to voice their desire for some change in the School Committee."

Incumbent chairman Kevin Coughlin received 885, the most votes.

Joe Heisler picked up 715 votes to take the third and final School Committee seat. Incumbent David Roberts finished four votes behind Heisler with 711.

Roberts could challenge the results and petition for a recount within the next 10 days, and he would need signatures from 10 people in each of the town's seven precincts supporting his petition, according to state law.

A call to Roberts went unreturned late Saturday night.

Just a week ago Barsamian was receiving "phone pressure" to run a write-in campaign, and by Monday fellow parents launched Facebook page that put her forward as a candidate.

From there, a group of supporters helped get the word out through emails, social media, making signs and placing phone calls.

Election turnout was low, even for a town election, Town Clerk Paul Munchbach said. Of the town's roughly 16,500 registered voters, 1,908 went to the polls.

As a write-in candidate, Barsamian won Precincts 1 and 4. She said she wrote a letter to voters at , a senior living complex in Precinct 1, where she has spent time volunteering.

For about six weeks, the three incumbents - Coughlin, Heisler and Roberts - thought they were running an uncontested campaign for three open seats.

But following two controversial discussions, and an , Barsamian and other parents were upset over what they called a lack of communication and lack of community involvement in the descisions.

"It just goes to show that if the community is aware of what's going on, and they are engaged that they want to be part of it. They just need to be aware," Barsamian said. "Half the battle is just getting them to know what's happening."

Barsamian admitted she didn't know specific details of the Memorandum of Understanding between the school and police departments, she opposes a policy that infringes on how parents discipline their children, she said.

"[It] doesn't allow [parents] create consequences for their kids," Barsamian said.

Barsamian, who is a co-founder of Dedham Shines and is involved in the , said she always wanted to run for School Committee, but thought it would be a few years down the road.

"Some people thought [the write-in campaign] was the best thing, and some thought it was very unfair. But, it is our democracy," Barsamian said. "That write-in option is key."

Barsamian said she is looking forward to serving and knows that she will face a learning curve.

"I felt a responsibility to the parents of Dedham to give them a choice. That's what I set out to do. I wanted the incuments to work a little bit this week," she said.