Superintendent retires after 12 years; interim appointed 6-1

What happened

The School Committee voted 6-1 to appoint Dr. Peter Sanchioni as interim superintendent and approve his contract. He replaces Dr. Colleen Burns Jermain, who retired after twelve and a half years and was recognised by the committee on June 9. One member opposed the appointment because of the process used; others said a different process would be run for a permanent superintendent. The district had been working on a superintendent search since November 2025, and in April agreed to advertise the interim post for two weeks on a jobs site rather than run a full search, referring to a possible vote on regionalisation.

Why it matters to families

The superintendent is the person who runs the schools and writes the budget, and this change lands in the middle of a deficit reduction plan, a spending freeze and a reversal on where fifth-graders go.

The evidence

The June 4, 2026 approved minutes record the motion to appoint Dr. Peter Sanchioni as interim superintendent and approve his contract, and the 6-1 vote with one member opposed on process. The June 9, 2026 minutes record his introduction and the resolution recognising Dr. Jermain's twelve and a half years on her retirement. The April 2, 2026 minutes record the decision to post the interim role on SchoolSpring for two weeks.

The source