My name is Matthew Goglia.  My wife, Deborah, and I moved to South Salem about seven years ago with our two young children.  We've been married for over 10 years and welcomed a new baby in 2022.

I've been at my company for 12 years and am currently Senior Director of Corporate Treasury for a $3.3B company where I am responsible for capital allocation strategy, corporate investments, budgeting and forecasting, and cash operations.  

We didn’t end up at KLSD by accident.  The month our oldest son was diagnosed with autism, just after his second birthday, we put our home up for sale and knew we had to move to the best environment for him—a supportive community and school district.   We did our research.  We talked to people—his therapists, community members, and SEPTO members.   We read online.  We visited South Salem and went to the library to meet people and pick their brains.  We heard such wonderful things not only about the town and district, but also about how the needs of our most vulnerable students were handled.  We made the move and remain very invested in both the community and the success of the school district.

Vision for the Board of Education

• Transparency

• Accountability

• Responsiveness

• Accessibility

• Willingness to change

As a KLSD Board of Education Trustee, I will advocate for:

• Transparency with open and healthy public discussion among the members of the BOE and administration

• Safety for all children and staff

• Academic excellence for all children, including a reading program based on the science of reading

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (including the teaching staff, administration, and committees)

• Strengthened athletics, arts, and enrichment programs

• Fiscal responsibility by properly maintaining taxpayer assets, developing positive working relationships with local governing boards, and keeping projects within budget

• BOE meetings made accessible for all community members by allowing Zoom participation and creating additional avenues for community feedback and participation

• Holding the administration accountable when mistakes are made

• Universal Pre-K

• Mental health services with a focus on social and emotional learning

And, of course, I want to make the district a better and safer place for all of our children, including the most vulnerable (our BIPOC, LGBTQ+, ENL, and disabled students).

More than 80% of our taxes go to the school district.  There are a lot of great people here who really care about the kids and the schools.  The community wants their tax dollars paying for education and services, not lawyers and settlements.  People move here for the school district.  We did.  People leave if the district doesn't work for them.  We have a very intelligent, caring and passionate community and we should be harnessing their expertise and input.