Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Sheryl L. Stanton
Ashfield is too small to run a school district by itself, so it does not. Its students belong to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, about 758 of them across four schools, and one person answers for the whole operation. Sheryl L. Stanton is the Superintendent, proposing the district budget, setting academic priorities, and running the schools day to day from a central office in Shelburne Falls. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which evaluates her work.
Here is the thing worth knowing about a regional district. The committee that hires the Superintendent does not answer to Ashfield alone. It answers to eight towns at once, and Ashfield holds two of its sixteen seats. That is real power for a town of this size, and it is also why a school question in Ashfield is never only an Ashfield question.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools, Mohawk Trail Regional School District |
|---|---|
| District office | 24 Ashfield Road, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 |
| Phone | 413-625-0192 |
| Website | mtrsd.org |
The School Committee
The Mohawk Trail Regional School Committee is made up of 16 elected representatives, two from each member town: Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield and Shelburne. It sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent. Its meetings are public and recorded, which means an Ashfield student who shows up can speak, and one who cannot get there can watch.
Rachel Wang
Patricia Bayer
Martha Thurber
Suzanne Crawford
The district lists its members by town. Ashfield’s two seats are the ones Ashfield voters fill.
| Member town | Representatives |
|---|---|
| Ashfield | Rachel Wang, Patricia Bayer |
| Buckland | Martha Thurber (Chair), Charles Leach |
| Charlemont | Evelyn Locke, Ron Smith |
| Colrain | Dennis DePaolo, John Chivers |
| Hawley | Suzanne Crawford (Vice Chair), Robert Sears |
| Heath | Budge Litchfield |
| Plainfield | David Bjorklund, Nadya Camilini |
| Shelburne | Willow Cohen, Maya Winfrey |
Names as listed by the district on mtrsd.org, read 2026 08 23. The district’s page names one representative for Heath; check the district roster for the current holder of the second seat.
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 758 students.
- Schools: four, including Sanderson Academy in Ashfield and Mohawk Trail Regional School.
- Graduation rate: 88.1%.
- State data: DESE profile (code 07170000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the committee meets at the district, and posts its meeting dates, agendas and minutes on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: the district posts recordings of past School Committee meetings for the public to view.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work happens in subcommittees on budget, buildings, communications, education, policy, personnel and transportation.
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