MassVoter.com← New Bedford School Committee
New Bedford Mayor; Chair (by law)
Jon Mitchell
Mayor (chair) · 4 terms in this record
A monthly email on how they voted, starting in November.
Terms
Your New Bedford ballot: 15 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Record at a glance · 2026–2027 term
How these numbers work
- Counted from the official minutes, for 2026–2027 term only. Committee meetings and routine votes (adjourning, approving minutes) are not counted.
- Attendance counts the meetings where the minutes list Mitchell as present or absent at the start.
- Only votes the minutes record member by member are counted. Voice votes and votes given only as a count (for example 6-3 with no names) are not.
- Percentages are shown only when there are at least 10 meetings or votes to count.
- A split vote is one where at least one member voted yes and another voted no. “In the minority” means on the side with fewer votes; ties are not counted.
- “Whole committee” combines every member’s record for the same term.
These numbers describe the record; they are not a grade. A no vote, an abstention or a minority vote is neither good nor bad. MassVoter never rates officials.
In the news
- New Homes Break Ground At New Bedford’s Acushnet Heights, Vocational Students Will Help Build ThemNew Bedford Guide · Oct 2, 2026
- $1.3 million in state aid could help save New Bedford fire station 9WPRI 12 · Sep 23, 2026
- State grants $1.3 million to keep New Bedford’s Fire Station 9 openThe New Bedford Light · Sep 23, 2026
- Governor Healey to Include $1.3 Million for New Bedford Fire Department Engine 9 in Supplemental BudgetNew Bedford Guide · Sep 23, 2026
- At 104, New Bedford’s Dick Selley Closes a Life of Service, Work, and FamilyNew Bedford Guide · Sep 23, 2026
- “Who Have They Arrested? Why?” Massachusetts Gov. Healey Presses ICE After New Bedford Fathers Taken Into CustodyNew Bedford Guide · Sep 23, 2026
- New Bedford Mayor Mitchell Says ICE Overreached in Arrests of EightNew Bedford Guide · Sep 22, 2026
- ICE makes at least a dozen arrests in New BedfordWPRI 12 · Sep 22, 2026
- ICE arrests surge in New Bedford area; immigrants warned to stay homeThe New Bedford Light · Sep 22, 2026
- IAFF: “New Bedford Paid for Fire Studies. They Said Don’t Close Engine 9”New Bedford Guide · Sep 11, 2026
- New Ocean-View Playground Coming to New Bedford This FallNew Bedford Guide · Sep 10, 2026
- New Bedford Mayor Moves to Freeze Data Centers Citywide as AI Boom Threatens Power, Water, NeighborhoodsNew Bedford Guide · Sep 8, 2026
- New Bedford Mayor Signs Form-Based Zoning Codes to Guide Growth in Three Commercial DistrictsNew Bedford Guide · Sep 2, 2026
- Federal election monitors watched New Bedford polls. The monitors were being monitored, too.The New Bedford Light · Sep 1, 2026
- School Committee advances four motions on Flock camerasThe New Bedford Light · Aug 25, 2026
Stories that name Jon Mitchell in the headline or opening, newest first, from 25 free news outlets (see the list). Headlines appear as each outlet published them; MassVoter does not write, choose or rate them. Only stories that are free to read are listed.
Disclosure: MassVoter’s founder, Michael Silvia, is the publisher of Fall River Reporter and New Bedford Guide.
Attendance
At the start of 3 of 6 School Committee meetings in 2026–2027 term.
Missed
- May 11, 2026 · Regular: Absent
- Apr 13, 2026 · Regular: Absent
- Mar 9, 2026 · Regular: Absent
Every meeting (6)
- Aug 10, 2026 · Regular: Present
- May 11, 2026 · Regular: Absent
- Apr 13, 2026 · Regular: Absent
- Mar 9, 2026 · Regular: Absent
- Feb 9, 2026 · Regular: Present
- Jan 12, 2026 · Regular: Present
Votes where members disagreed · 2026–2027 term
Aug 10Approve the proposed changes to the existing grade structure…Motion: to approve the proposed changes to the existing grade structure and…Passed Unanimous, 6 present (Cotter absent) · Mitchell: Yes
August 10, 2026: Approve the proposed changes to the existing grade structure and school districts for the Ashley Elementary School project
To approve the proposed changes to the existing grade structure and school districts for the Ashley Elementary School project
Voted: Yes
The minutes name the mover as “Mr. William Bradley”; no member has that name (the roll call lists Mr. William Markey), so no mover is shown. We will ask the School Committee office to confirm.
From the minutes
“The School Committee voted on a motion made by Mr. William Bradley, and seconded Mr. Richard Porter, to approve the proposed changes to the existing grade structure and school districts for the Ashley Elementary School project. The roll call vote was as follows: Ms. Von Marie Moniz - Yes Mr. William Markey - Yes Mr. Christopher Cotter - Absent Ms. Melissa Costa - Yes (remote) Mr. Jack Livramento, Jr. - Yes Mayor Jon Mitchell - Yes Mr. Richard Porter Ill - Yes 6-Yeas, O-Nays, 1-Absent.” (second: Porter)
Apr 13Provide a FY27 School Committee Budget Workshop before the…Motion: to provide a FY27 School Committee Budget Workshop before the Public…Passed 6–0 · Mitchell: Not recorded
April 13, 2026: Provide a FY27 School Committee Budget Workshop before the Public Hearing in May
To provide a FY27 School Committee Budget Workshop before the Public Hearing in May
The minutes give the count as 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent, but the printed roll call reads: Jon Mitchell: yes; Christopher Cotter: yes; Jack Livramento, Jr.: yes; Melissa Costa: yes; Richard Porter III: yes; Vonmarie Moniz: yes; William Markey: yes. Because they do not match, individual votes are not shown. We will ask the School Committee office to confirm.
From the minutes
“The School Committee voted on a motion made by Mr. Richard Porter and seconded by Mr. Christopher Cotter for the Finance and Operations department to provide a FY27 School Committee Budget Workshop before the Public Hearing in May. The vote was as follows: Ms. Von Marie Moniz - Yes Mr. Richard Porter III - Yes Mr. Christopher Cotter - Yes Ms. Melissa Costa - Yes Mr. Jack Livramento, Jr. - Yes Mayor Jon Mitchell - Yes Mr. William Markey - Yes 6-Yeas, 0-Nays, 1-Absent.” (Motion: Porter, second: Cotter)
Apr 13Ratify the contract for Mr. Paul Bottome, Executive Director…Motion: to ratify the contract for Mr. Paul Bottome, Executive Director of…Passed 6–0 · Mitchell: Not recorded
April 13, 2026: Ratify the contract for Mr. Paul Bottome, Executive Director of Special Education beginning April 13, 2026, as presented
To ratify the contract for Mr. Paul Bottome, Executive Director of Special Education beginning April 13, 2026, as presented
The minutes give the count as 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent, but the printed roll call reads: Jon Mitchell: yes; Christopher Cotter: yes; Jack Livramento, Jr.: yes; Melissa Costa: yes; Richard Porter III: yes; Vonmarie Moniz: yes; William Markey: yes. Because they do not match, individual votes are not shown. We will ask the School Committee office to confirm.
From the minutes
“The School Committee voted on a motion made by Mr. Richard Porter and seconded by Mr. William Markey to ratify the contract for Mr. Paul Bottome, Executive Director of Special Education beginning April 13, 2026, as presented. The roll call vote was as follows: Ms. Von Marie Moniz - Yes Mr. Richard Porter Ill - Yes Mr. Christopher Cotter - Yes Ms. Melissa Costa - Yes Mr. Jack Livramento, Jr. - Yes Mayor Jon Mitchell - Yes Mr. William Markey - Yes 6-Yeas, O-Nays, 1-Absent.” (Motion: Porter, second: Markey)
Feb 9Accept the 2026 Sub-Committee assignments as presentedMotion: to accept the 2026 Sub-Committee assignments as presentedPassed 5–2 · Mitchell: Yes
February 9, 2026: Accept the 2026 Sub-Committee assignments as presented
To accept the 2026 Sub-Committee assignments as presented
Voted: Yes
Yes: Cotter, Livramento, Markey, Mitchell, PorterNo: Costa, Moniz
From the minutes
“The School Committee voted on a motion made by Mr. Jack Livramento, Jr., and seconded by Mr. Christopher Cotter to accept the 2026 Sub-Committee assignments as presented. The roll call vote was as follows: Ms. Von Marie Moniz - No Mr. Richard Porter Ill - Yes Mr. Christopher Cotter - Yes Ms. Melissa Costa - No Mr. Jack Livramento, Jr. - Yes Mayor Jon Mitchell - Yes Mr. William Markey - Yes 5-Yeas, 2-Nays, 0-Absent.” (Motion: Livramento, second: Cotter)
Votes with no disagreement (46)
From the New Bedford School Committee’s official minutes, posted on the New Bedford Public Schools website. The minutes are scanned documents, which we read with text recognition. Every vote is a roll call with each member named; we check every count against the names and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Member photos: Melissa Costa, Richard Porter and Von Marie Moniz from The New Bedford Light (Eleonora Bianchi, Nov. 2025); Christopher Cotter from WBSM; Mayor Jon Mitchell from the Council on Competitiveness. William “Brad” Markey from The Standard-Times (Oct. 2023 candidate forum). Jack Livramento, Jr. from The New Bedford Light (Colin Hogan, June 2022).
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