As he runs for School Committee in 2024, Zachary Colón, 25,  said that he’s  in a position that he’s used to - being one out of five candidates in a competitive election.

A graduate of Toll Gate High School, Colón was class president for the Titans’ Class of 2017, and organized a walkout at both Toll Gate and Pilgrim to protest oversized classrooms. He also ran for Ward 9 on the City Council in 2020, garnering 42.9% of the vote in the Democratic primary against future councilman Vincent Gebhart.

Colón said that while issues such as the one he organized the walkout about have largely gotten better in recent years, there’s still more that he believes Warwick Public Schools should be doing to help students.

“I think there’s a lot of room for [our schools] to grow and improve,” Colón said. “I think we’ve made some of the right steps in doing that, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

While Colón was living in West Warwick in 2022, he said he would have voted for the construction of the new high schools were he a city resident at the time, and is excited to see what they look like. He acknowledged that while building costs had gone up, the new facilities would be worth it by making Warwick a more attractive place to live.

“Hopefully, we’re able to see quality progress in building those schools,” Colón said. “Having a quality public education system with quality schools, great technology, all of those resources that we’re hoping to have with new schools, is what makes a school attractive to families.”

The completion of the new high schools, Colón said, would also help WPS with another issue that he sees as one of the biggest issues Warwick schools will face over the next few years:  Warwick residents attending public schools outside of the city through “pathways programs” set up by the Rhode Island Department of Education. While he said he could not blame students for taking advantage of unique opportunities in another town or city’s school district, he said the money leaving Warwick as a result, with WPS paying for students’ education in another municipality, is a serious issue.

“It costs a lot of money to send kids to other schools, and that money is following them, going to whatever school district they’re sticking with,” Colón said. “I want to make sure that our dollars are staying here, and I think that the best way to do that is by strengthening our public schools.”

Other pillars of Colón’s platform are universal Pre-K. He is critical of  the Warwick Early Learning Center’s lottery system, saying that families shouldn’t have to win a lottery to get young kids who need an education. He also favors strengthening the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center.

Colón emphasized that he respects both incumbent Karen Bachus, who he said he sees as the only School Committee member who kept Warwick’s students as a  top priority during his time as a student and incumbent David Testa.  He said both have done a great job on the School Committee.

“They are both very good people, and I think they have done a lot of good for the schools,” Colón said. “I’m not running against them or any of the other candidates, I’m running for our schools and for myself to be elected to the committee to serve our students, teachers and parents.”

Outside of politics, Colón works for Fidelity Investments, and is married. While he doesn’t have any children at the moment, he said that he and his wife are hoping to start a family soon. Being a member of the School Committee and helping Warwick Public Schools would mean a lot to him.

“Education holds a dear place in my heart,” Colón said. “I want to make sure that we have a school system that is welcoming, supportive of our students, inclusive for all the students, and we are really investing in schools that are focused on bettering the lives of students.”