Arrianna Proia, 24, graduated from the Newton Public Schools system in 2019 after attending Lincoln Eliot Elementary, Bigelow and Newton North. She plans to use her experience growing up in Newton during the digital age to bring a fresh perspective to the School Committee, running for the Ward 1 seat since Rajeev Parlikar is term-limited and can’t run again.

Proia had faced Christie Gibson in the race, but Gibson has dropped out.

Proia doesn’t have children in the system, but she comes from a multigenerational Newton family. Proia’s dad is a Newton city firefighter, and her mom worked for the school department.

Proia graduated from Bridgewater State University with a degree in political science before landing a day job as a community organizer for the Charles River Watershed Association to help implement climate resilience policies within local municipalities, and she still works there.

Growing up, Proia’s family was actively involved with organizations like the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club and the annual Italian festival in Nonantum.

“Serving and giving back to the city has always been kind of ingrained in me since I was born, due to my family’s deep roots here in Newton,” she said.

Last year, she founded a female-run nonprofit with eight of her close friends called the Saint Mary of Carmen Women’s Society with the goal of engaging young women in local activism. 

“One of the main things I’m hoping we can really tackle with a new administration, if elected, is to end the cycle of uncertainty when it comes to our schools,” she said.

Prioa says there should not be so much uncertainty around the budget, and NPS shouldn’t have to push for more funding every year. She wants to work with the superintendent and city council to get a line-item budget, and she feels like her experience with municipal budgets has prepared her for this.

“I think one of the things I’m excited for when it comes to this kind of election that’s coming up is that no matter what’s happening, we are having a change in leadership across the board,” she said.

The School Committee, the City Council, and the Mayor’s Office all have active races underway, which allows for a fresh assessment of the budget and how to reallocate funds.

She also doesn’t believe an override would be appropriate in the near future, and the reason it failed back in 2023 was that the Committee did not provide the public with measurable results. However, Proia acknowledges that the Committee has worked hard to rebuild trust, and she wants to continue that.

Proia wants to address the budget and other issues before NPS decides to work on new programs like School Choice, or else she is afraid the Committee will not be taking care of its current students.

 “I understand the ability to expand educational opportunities for students,” she said. “But I don’t think that Newton is the model right now for it because I think we have to focus on the students within Newton and make sure they have equitable access to the high-quality education and resources first.”

Through conversations with parents on the campaign trail, she has decided she doesn’t support multilevel classroom learning because it seems to be preventing some students from reaching their potential and leaving others behind in their learning.

“As someone who has been through Newton Public Schools and kinda knows what that’s like,” Proia said. “I didn’t get multilevel classes in my time at North, but, you know, I hear from a lot of families when I’m out campaigning about how it’s really feeling like it’s not working.”

In response to the ongoing discrimination issues resulting from the Israel-Gaza war, Prioa says that NPS needs to ensure that teachers have the proper training to handle discrimination and ensure they are fostering inclusive environments.

“First and foremost, kids should have a safe and welcoming learning environment, and that is the responsibility of our school system,” Proia said. “It is something that is non-negotiable for me that when they are in the classroom and when they are on school grounds, kids are not facing discrimination and these kinds of issues.”

Proia’s number one goal is to give students all the tools they need to thrive in the NPS system, like she did.

“I want to be that advocate for kids who don’t always necessarily have that backstop and support system that I had,” she said. “But also knowing that every kid in Newton, no matter their background, deserves the ability to thrive.”