Editor’s Note: HK-Now.com and Haddam Killingworth News asked candidates for the Regional School District 17 Board of Education to provide brief biographies as a way of introducing themselves to voters. The statement below is from Tara Amatrudo, who is running for BOE from Killingworth. The candidate’s reply is unchanged from the original as submitted. HK-Now.com and Haddam Killingworth News are not responsible for errors in grammar, usage, punctuation or spelling.
Tara Amatrudo has lived in Killingworth for 13 years and is the proud parent of twins in 5th grade at Haddam-Killingworth Intermediate School. She has served on the Killingworth Board of Finance since 2021, where she collaborates across parties to balance the needs of the community with the realities of a small-town budget.
A lifelong educator, Tara began her career as a high school special education teacher in a nearby regional school district. For more than a decade, she has served as principal of two Connecticut magnet high schools, and she currently leads Marine Science Magnet High School in Groton, recognized as one of the state’s top-performing schools. Her unique perspective blends the professional expertise of an educator with the fiscal responsibility of a taxpayer.
Tara believes Region 17’s greatest strength lies in its dedicated teachers. If elected, she is committed to supporting their professional growth, expanding student opportunities through regional partnerships, and ensuring that decisions are made with both educational quality and financial sustainability in mind.
“As someone who spends every day among hundreds of young people, I am inspired by their ability to find unity across differences. That hope is what drives me to serve and to strengthen our schools for every child.”
