Shrewsbury School Committee Vice Chair Seeks Re-Election Ahead of May 5 Vote

SHREWSBURY — May 1, 2026 — Shrewsbury School Committee Vice Chair Rachel Sharifabour urged voters to re-elect her at a May 1 candidate forum ahead of the May 5 election. Sharifabour, who has served on the board since 2023, cited work on vocational education pathways, a new partnership with Leicester Public Schools, and student wellness initiatives as accomplishments of her current term. She devoted significant time to rebutting what she called unfair transparency criticism from "a small group," describing a spring 2025 superintendent evaluation process that drew close to 1,000 community responses, roughly 360 of which she said contained personal attacks and material unrelated to the evaluation's purpose. She framed the coming term as requiring steady hands, noting the simultaneous retirement of Superintendent Dr. Sawyer and Dr. Lizotte and the incoming appointment of Dr. Ostrander as the district's new superintendent.