New Bedford School Committee Member Ross Grace Won’t Seek Reelection

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford School Committee member Ross M. Grace, Jr. has announced he will not be seeking re-election this fall, and has instead endorsed local activist and New Bedford Human Rights Commissioner Marcus Coward for the school committee.

Grace posted to his Facebook page this morning that he would not seek a second term on the school committee this fall. Grace was elected to the committee in November 2021 after a previous unsuccessful bid in 2019.

“It has been a blessing and a privilege to serve on the school committee,” Grace wrote. “My team and I developed a platform which translated into the voters of our great city making us the top vote getters of the 2022 entire election cycle – not only of school committee candidates – but of all candidates in that entire election. It still blows my mind! Something we believed in, resonated with our city and for that I am eternally grateful.”

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Ross Grace Says He Has “Selfish Motives” for Not Seeking Reelection

Grace pointed out that in addition to his almost four years on the school committee, he also worked in New Bedford schools for 17 years, and has volunteered in the community since the age of 16 – and that it might be time to take a step back.

“I didn’t take this decision lightly, but I have to be clear. I don’t consider myself a politician, my goal has never been to be a career politician,” he wrote. “Titles, degrees and ‘shiny things’ mean little to me. New ideas and new energy is the heart of a vibrant democracy.”

Grace said he consulted with others – including “experienced officials, past and present,” his “current and former peers” and “cherished friends and family” – before making his decision. He said in the end, he has “selfish motives” for not seeking reelection.

“At this point in my life, I want time for me and my loved ones,” he wrote. “I have a beautiful home with projects that I am way behind schedule on! I miss coaching Little League Baseball which is a passion I have. I want to travel more. I want to explore writing. Some friends and I have begun a group to reach out to and support our young men in the choices of life.”

“My professional and political schedule takes a toll on my personal life. Those I hold dear, deserve more from me,” he wrote. “Personally, for those I cherish, I want them to have the best of me and not what’s left of me.”

Grace Is Proud of His Work on the New Bedford School Committee

“We challenged the MCAS system and played a part in making sure its inherent bias was no longer a criteria for a high school diploma,” he wrote. “We helped put in place non-intrusive safety measures to reduce chances of weapons being brought into our schools."

"We worked closely with the administrative team and the union for pay reflective of work. We stood in protest of bigotry and for support for the safety and well-being of all of our students," he wrote. "We kept our community informed on social media. We did our best to be a conduit for family and educator needs with our administration.”

READ MORE: Ross Grace Is the Big New Bedford Election Story

“I am most proud that we were instrumental in hiring a new superintendent who is the best man possible for the monumental task of leading our schools,” he wrote. “There’s still work to be done and we will give our best (until) our last day in office.”

Coward responded by sharing Grace’s post on his own Facebook page, along with the caption, “Thanks for the endorsement, Ross M. Grace, Jr.! It means a lot, now let’s make it happen!”