Southwick-Tolland-Granville school committee selects Aaron Carrier as next superintendent

The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District school committee voted unanimously on June 15 to offer the district's next superintendent position to Aaron Carrier, the district's director of curriculum and development. Chair Robert Stevenson announced, "All in favor? Let the record show the motion passes 6-0," after committee deliberations that followed public interviews with two finalists.

The committee conducted public interviews with two finalists earlier in the meeting: Dr. Ginger Coleman, an external finalist who described community engagement strategies and crisis-management experience, and Aaron Carrier, an internal candidate who emphasized multi-year strategic planning, staff morale and targeted, data-driven interventions. Both candidates answered a set of pre-shared questions covering regional vision, budgets, crisis response, equity and organizational culture.

Why it mattered: committee members said the choice came down to trade-offs between fresh perspective and institutional knowledge. Several members described the district's need for clearer multi-year budgeting and a stronger strategic plan tied to enrollment projections and capital priorities; they said Carrier's depth of experience in the district, ongoing involvement with curriculum and demonstrated work on academic recovery were decisive.

"We had two really good candidates," a committee member said during deliberations. In her closing, Carrier framed her leadership priorities around "strong relationships, high expectations for kids and partnering with families," and offered an entry plan that tied short-term steps to longer-term goals. Dr. Ginger Coleman told the committee she prized forward-looking planning and community-building tactics, saying, "I absolutely loved coming and touring your schools." Her answers included examples of outreach and programs she used in larger, diverse districts.

Public comment before the vote included a former student, who praised both finalists, and a resident who urged the committee to consider outside candidates and said some teachers may be reluctant to speak up publicly because of fear of retaliation.

What the finalists proposed: Carrier stressed that the district should move to a multi-year strategic plan that integrates multi-year forecasting with the budget, and she highlighted plans to engage teachers and town stakeholders in a planning committee. She recommended prioritizing fixed and mandated costs, pricing foundational commitments (class size, extracurriculars) and protecting essential student services while seeking reductions elsewhere. Coleman emphasized early scenario planning for enrollment declines and transparent community forums to explain potential impacts.

Votes and next steps: The committee approved the motion to offer Carrier the superintendent position with a reported effective start date of July 1, 2027. The committee then voted to authorize the chair to sign summer payroll warrants so staff payments are not delayed, and moved into executive session to discuss contract negotiations.

Committee chair Robert Stevenson opened the meeting and laid out the selection process in public: the two candidates would answer seven core questions and the committee would deliberate publicly before taking action. Members said they will work to present a clear long-range strategy to residents ahead of future budget votes.