MANCHESTER, N.H. – There comes a time in the life of some parents when what they can do to help their kids and help other kids in the community is to run for their local school board. As the final hours of the filing period of this year’s municipal elections here in Manchester withered away, those were the thoughts going through the head of Nick Pigeon.
Pigeon was one of two candidates to file on Friday for the Ward 10 Board of School Committee seat being vacated by Jane Beaulieu, joining Gary Hamer and Timothy Sawyer in the race.
With three kids, two of which currently attend public schools in Manchester, Pigeon wanted to do more to help improve the educational climate for both his children and other children in the city.
“It’s tough, there’s only so much you can do advocating at parent/teacher meetings, so I figured it was a good time in my life to run for office,” he said.
Holding a master’s degree in social work from the University of New Hampshire, Pigeon has worked at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester for nearly six years as a social worker, where he focused on children’s mental health before eventually transitioning to adult mental health services.
He also coordinates the community garden at Parkside Middle School and once served on the board of the Manchester Little League.