In this year’s Worcester municipal elections, there was a major shake-up in the school committee. The changes come after a lawsuit accused the city’s election process of violating the Voting Rights Act in regards to electing the school committee.

Worcester’s new system for electing the school committee divides the city into districts that elect their own committee member. Then, the city as a whole elects two at-large committee members.

In Districts A, B, D, and F, the seats were uncontested; only one candidate ran for each seat. Districts B and D elected newcomers to the committee, Vanessa Alvarez from B and Alex Guardiola from D. Districts A and F will be represented by incumbents Molly McCullough and Jermaine Johnson.

In District E, Kathleen Roy won the seat, beating Nelly Medina by only 98 votes. 

Three incumbents lost their seats in the election: Tracy O’Connell Novick, Laura Clancey, and Jermoh Kamara. Novick and Clancey ran for the at-large seats, but lost to former Superintendent Maureen Binienda and incumbent Sue Mailman.

Dianna Biancheria,  a former school committee member, will now represent District C. She ran against incumbent Jermoh Kamara.

All of their terms will start at the beginning of next year; the next election will be in 2025.