Penelope "Penny" Billington Hunt, a newcomer to Newport politics, is running for a seat on the Newport School Committee with a focus on addressing funding challenges and leadership needs in the district.
Hunt, who moved back to Newport in 2020 after living in the Boston area for 15 years, brings a background in nonprofit fundraising and financial analysis to her campaign.
"The financial skillset is a big one. I know it's really dull, but I'm kind of okay with being boring in this political environment," Hunt said during an interview with What'sUpNewp on Wednesday, October 2. "I think boring is fine, but I promise folks that that is a skill set I'm going to bring to the table."
Hunt's professional experience includes seven years in the nonprofit sector, followed by an MBA from Boston University. She currently works at a bank in Boston, underwriting mortgages for affordable housing developments.
As a parent of two young children, with one attending Pell Elementary School, Hunt says she has been following Newport's public meetings closely since returning to the city.
"I've really been following what's been going on in Newport since 2020," Hunt said. "I would listen to the council meetings, listen to the school committee meetings."
Hunt identifies funding and leadership as her two main priorities for the school committee. She believes her financial background will be particularly valuable in addressing the district's budgetary challenges.
"I do see everybody on school committee, I believe, has good intentions. But obviously, everybody brings different skills," Hunt said. "Not a lot of folks necessarily have the experience digging into the numbers and appreciating the value of that exercise and how a budget reflects our values each year."
Regarding the recent funding request to the city council, Hunt expressed concern that the ask may have been too conservative. "I'm sort of more in the boat of the school committee's job and role is to ask for what's needed and what we fully support in our budget process," she said.
Hunt also emphasized the importance of leadership in addressing the diverse needs of Newport's student population. She noted the challenges of serving students from various socioeconomic backgrounds within the same school system.
"I think that leadership is important to both of those groups," Hunt said, referring to families with ample resources and those with fewer resources. "It's important to highly resource parents because they expect good leadership. They're used to strong administration, strong communication, and a strong relationship with the place that they send their children every day."
On the topic of regionalization, Hunt advocated for a more proactive approach. She suggested that the school committee should take the lead in exploring regionalization options, focusing on programmatic offerings and benefits for teachers and students, rather than reacting solely to building incentives.
Regarding the ongoing Rogers High School construction project, Hunt acknowledged the challenges posed by inflation and the decision not to secure a fixed-price contract. She supports completing the project despite the increased costs, citing the significant state subsidy and the city's relatively low debt burden.
Hunt also addressed concerns about communication between the school district and parents. She suggested exploring new methods of disseminating information, balancing traditional approaches with more modern platforms.
"I think we really do need to find the best way that gets the leadership voice out there in a direct fashion to the parents in particular," Hunt said.
As the campaign progresses, Hunt plans to continue engaging with the community through door-knocking and attending local events. She emphasized her ability to work collaboratively and her unique combination of relationship skills and policy understanding.
"I like folks to know that I am easy to work with. I'm a team player," Hunt said. "I have both relationship skills and I have the ability to understand the numbers and the policy challenges."
The Rhode Island General Election will take place on Nov. 5.
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Penny Hunt hopes to bring funding and leadership experience to Newport School Committee