Boston Mayor Appoints Two Latina Women to Fill School Committee Vacancies

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Mayor Kim Janey appointed two Latina women to the Boston School Committee at a July 22 ceremony, filling seats left vacant after two Latina members resigned within the prior month. Janey tapped Lorena Lopera, executive director of Latinos for Education New England and a Colombian immigrant who grew up undocumented in the United States, and Rafaela Polanco-Garcia, Director of Parent Engagement and Organizing at St. Stephen's Youth Programs and a Dominican immigrant who lives in South Boston public housing. City Clerk Maureen Feeney administered the oaths of office; Polanco-Garcia's oath was given bilingually, line by line in English and Spanish. An independent nominating panel chaired by BPS teacher Lori Ciardi reviewed 23 applicants and advanced six finalists before Janey made her selections. Janey described Polanco-Garcia as the first Boston School Committee member whose primary language is Spanish, saying it will compel the committee to extend interpretation services to the deliberating body itself and expand written translation for Spanish-speaking families, who represent the largest non-English language group in the district.