Meet School Committee candidate Joyce Bacchiocchi

Incumbent Joyce Bacchiocchi, a longtime member of the Wareham School Committee, is seeking reelection and pointing to nearly a decade of service and deep community involvement as reasons to continue.

A Wareham High School graduate, Bacchiocchi raised three children who also attended Wareham Public Schools from kindergarten through graduation. She worked for 36 years at a local propane company where she now works part-time.

She has served on the School Committee for nine years and is running for her fourth term. Bacchiocchi said her decision to run again is driven by ongoing initiatives within the district, like the new Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson and long-term planning efforts.

Her involvement in the district spans decades, beginning with school councils at the elementary level and continuing through middle and high school. She was a member of the Superintendent Search Committee and has participated in various booster clubs and student programs.

If reelected, Bacchiocchi said the district’s financial challenges will remain a top priority.

“The budget is an ongoing issue,” she said. “The resources are going to continue to get less, and the needs of the students just increase.”

She also emphasized improving public perception of Wareham schools, citing past efforts to highlight successful alumni.

“We often talk about the perception of Wareham schools and how to make that better,” Bacchiocchi said. "That seems to be a problem, and we keep on working at it."

Among her accomplishments, she cited her role on the School Building Committee that led to the construction of a new elementary school. She also pointed to school safety and collaboration with local officials as ongoing priorities.

Bacchiocchi said she hopes to continue providing programs for students like the EMT course offered at the high school. The class helps students become certified EMT's at the end of the school year.

With multiple vocational schools nearby, she said the emphasis on keeping students in-district with programs like DECA, the EMT course and culinary courses is important. 

"We will continue evolving," she said. "We're always working on different pathways."

She also highlighted early literacy as a key focus in elementary grades, wanting to make sure the students have the "tools they need" to get on track. Reflecting on the district’s strengths, Bacchiocchi emphasized its friendliness.

"Everyone, no matter what their grade level is, what their story is, what their background is—  you always hear how good it is here,” she said. “You hear the opposite when kids leave, when they go to other schools.”