Holliston committee interviews superintendent finalist who stresses collaboration, equity and pragmatic budgeting

A superintendent finalist told the Holliston School Committee on Jan. 28 that he would prioritize collaboration, transparent communication and student-centered programs while navigating budget trade-offs and helping plan a potential replacement of the town’s 56‑year‑old high school.

The candidate, who has 26 years in education as a teacher, athletic director, principal and superintendent in a smaller district, emphasized empowering building leaders, involving students in real decision-making and strengthening equity and social-emotional work. He described specific practices from his district — universal SEL screeners funded by grant support, partnerships with behavioral-health providers, use of Panorama surveys and the Second Step K–12 curriculum, “Handle with Care” police notifications for students and periodic therapy-dog visits — as examples of how he measures and supports school climate. “The answer is always in the room,” he said, describing a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

Why it matters: The interview is part of Holliston’s process to select its next superintendent. Committee members pressed the finalist on communication and transparency, supporting both struggling and advanced students, staffing and retention, handling controversy, curriculum adoption and the district’s role in a possible major capital project for the high school. The committee did not take a hiring vote at the meeting.

In response to questions about communication, the candidate said he would first identify how families prefer to receive information (email, the messaging platform Smore, automated calls or social media) and would use consistent, timely messaging so there are “no surprises” between meetings. He told the committee he favors frequent check-ins with members and a transparent approach to both successes and obstacles — whether financial, personnel or implementation-related.

On equity and inclusion, he described prior work with an organization called Mass IDEAS and training that created a common anti‑racist vocabulary for staff and trained high‑school students to facilitate conversations with younger peers. When committee members raised concern about antisemitism and other hate incidents, he said the district should explicitly name and denounce such acts, provide age‑appropriate education for students and give teachers tools to handle questions in the classroom.

The finalist outlined a Multi‑Tiered System of Supports to balance interventions for struggling students with rigorous pathways for high achievers, and described a superintendent’s advisory committee that trains students in leadership and then asks them to implement projects with measurable results. He also recounted crisis communication practices — in one case coordinating with police and issuing a joint statement after an alleged weapon report turned out not to be a viable threat — as a model for timely, joint messaging to families.

On finance, the candidate said he prepares budget presentations tied to the strategic plan and recommends using clear impact statements showing which students or programs would be affected by cuts. He described a recent approach that converted some building‑based positions into district‑wide roles (for example, consolidating art and music coverage) and reduced a facilities director role from full‑time to half‑time to preserve programming while lowering costs. He also noted reliance on revolving accounts and said conversations with town officials determine the final budget posture, including whether to propose an override.

Committee members asked about the high school project; the committee said the district has entered an eligibility period for potential renovation or replacement of the 56‑year‑old building. The finalist said he would engage broad stakeholder input on instructional spaces, maker labs and athletic facilities and weigh long‑term operational and environmental savings against initial costs.

The meeting concluded without a hiring decision. Dan Alford moved to adjourn; Dawn Naborski seconded, and the committee agreed to adjourn by voice vote.