Competition arises in Somerset for spot on Diman school board

SOMERSET -- A 2002 Diman graduate returned papers Monday to run for Somerset representative of the Greater Fall River Regional Vocational School District Committee, setting up the first contested race for the seat in six years.

David Fazzina submitted 64 signatures to Assistant Town Clerk Kathleen Maiato, more than the 50 signatures required to make it on the ballot for annual town elections on Monday, April 8.

Wearing a sweatshirt printed with the phrase, “Orange and Black Fight Back,” Fazzina said the School Committee’s Dec. 6 vote against renewing Superintendent-Director Thomas Aubin’s three-year contract prompted his interest in running.

“Mr. Aubin was a teacher when I was there, a very influential teacher at that,” said Fazzina at Town Hall. “I remember more that he taught us to be good young people rather than any lesson that I remember about history or social studies.”

Despite his support for Aubin, Fazzina said he doesn’t “assume guilt” on the part of the School Committee for opting not to renew Aubin’s contract, saying not all of the reasons they did so have been made public.

“I don’t know the full story, only the School Committee does, so I’m not going to sit here and assume guilt on the School Committee,” he said.

He will face off against incumbent candidate Donald DiBiasio, who is vying for his third three-year term representing Somerset on the committee, which oversees Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. The Somerset representative is the only member up for re-election this year.

DiBiasio, a Swansea police officer, said Thursday he pulled papers for the seat and expects to return signatures by the end of this week. It will be the first time DiBiasio faces opposition on the ballot.

“I like doing it, I like volunteering my time,” he said. “I enjoy being on the committee. It’s a great group of people, and I believe in the school. It’s my alma mater.”

If re-elected, DiBiasio hopes to continue working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to build a new school or expand the existing building.

School officials will learn at a February meeting of the MSBA whether the project will move one step forward with the start of a feasibility study, said DiBiasio, who chairs the MSBA subcommittee.

“I’d like to continue to see this through. Being part of this is an honor, and hopefully we continue in a positive manner with the MSBA,” he said.

If elected, Fazzina hopes to gain new insight into why a majority of School Committee members chose not to renew Aubin’s contract. He said “the situation with Mr. Aubin” is not the only reason for his bid to represent Somerset on the six-member committee.

Fazzina, who has a 2-year-old child and two step-children, graduated in 2002 from the machine shop program at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.

He applied to be a teacher at Diman several years ago, he said, but the job ultimately went to another Diman graduate. Not getting the Diman job was a “blessing,” because it led him to his current career as an application specialist at industrial supplier BlackHawk Industrial.

Fazzina hopes to have a say in who becomes the next superintendent-director of Diman.

“I want to make sure, that even if Mr. Aubin’s not there, the positives about Mr. Aubin are in the next candidates, next leaders,” he said.