Hopkinton principal and finalist Evan Bishop pitches continuity, community engagement and inclusion in superintendent interview

Evan Bishop, principal of Hopkinton High School, told the Hopkinton School Committee on March 27 that his priorities as a potential superintendent would be strengthening community engagement, preserving student-facing positions amid budget pressures and advancing inclusion across the district.

Bishop, who said he has worked in Hopkinton for 20 years and has been high school principal for 12, framed his approach as a culture-centered one: “I look at the position of a leader whether it's a principal or a superintendent as a culture builder,” he said. “Being a culture builder is bringing people together.”

On transparency and difficult decisions, Bishop said leaders must “be honest about why we're making those decisions” and should give stakeholders opportunities to be heard even when outcomes are unpopular. He described routine practices at the high school — staff surveys, monthly meetings with union representatives and regularly scheduled check-ins — that he said build trust and surface problems early.

Bishop told the committee he is a “champion for inclusion” and described local initiatives at the high school, including a recent staff briefing prepared with the Muslim Student Association to inform faculty about Ramadan and an iftar event organized with students. He said the district should bake diversity, equity and inclusion work into routine operations and ensure students “have equitable access to opportunities.”

On budgets, Bishop said Hopkinton should plan early and creatively, naming options such as international-student tuition programs and re‑examining pre‑K tuition, while prioritizing student-facing positions where possible. He said the district should be transparent about tradeoffs and involve stakeholders in planning.

Bishop described approaches to special education that tie compliance to student outcomes, and said he would rely on a strong director of student services while advocating for quality monitoring and progress-based interventions.

Bishop closed by saying he wants to remain in Hopkinton and continue serving the community if not selected as superintendent; if hired, he said, he would make elementary and middle school outreach a top priority during an entry plan, and that hiring a high school principal would be done with attention to district values and continuity.

The committee reiterated that reference checks and community feedback are underway and that it expects to deliberate on April 3.