Public Schools
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Dr. Margaret Marotta, Ed.D.
Dr. Margaret Marotta has run Haverhill Public Schools since July 2018, which makes her the person who turns School Committee policy into what actually happens in your classroom. She arrived with about 25 years in education and human services, much of it spent in district-wide leadership in urban schools.
Before Haverhill she worked in the Salem Public Schools, first as director of pupil personnel services and then as assistant superintendent. Earlier she was assistant director of special education for the Boston Public Schools, a special education team chairperson in the Peabody Public Schools, and a staff member at the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Assistant Superintendent Bonnie Antkowiak works alongside her.
| In office | Since July 2018 |
|---|---|
| Office | Haverhill Public Schools, 4 Summer Street, Room 100, Haverhill, MA 01830 |
| Phone | 978-374-3400 |
| Website | haverhill-ps.org |
The School Committee
This is the board with the most direct power over your daily life as a student, and it has 11 seats: seven elected by ward, three elected at-large, and the mayor, who chairs it by holding the office. Members serve two-year terms. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett chairs the committee. Half of the elected members were newcomers when they took office in January 2026, the largest turnover the board has seen in modern times, so many of the people setting school policy right now are serving their first term.
Melinda E. Barrett
Penelope Guerrero
Josiah E. Morrow
Toni A. Sapienza-Donais
Mirca Zoraida Rivera
Robert R. Brown III
Maura L. Ryan-Ciardiello
Amanda J. Basiliere
Dr. Jill T. Story
Yonnie Collins
Thomas W. Grannemann
Members without a direct line above can be reached through the School Committee office: Secretary Beverly McGillicuddy, 978-852-7663, City Hall Room 100.
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 7,732 students across the district.
- Schools: a full set of elementary and middle schools plus Haverhill High School (grades 9-12), the district’s sole comprehensive high school.
- DESE district code: 01280000.
- State profile: enrollment & performance data from the Mass. Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.
Meetings & Participation
- When: the committee meets regularly through the school year. Schedules, agendas, and recordings are posted by Haverhill Public Schools, so you can see what is on the table in advance.
- Public comment: meetings set aside time for students, families, and residents to speak directly to the board.
- Get involved: families can also plug in through the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and school-based groups.
Sources
Haverhill school committee (haverhill-ps.org). Verified July 2026.
What this seat decides
Your schools
School Committee. Start times, the school calendar, bus routes and stops, the phone policy, athletics and activity fees, and anything in the student handbook. It sets district policy, and the total size of the school budget is voted by Town Meeting, or by your Mayor and Council in a city.
Your principal and your superintendent. The principal for how a school rule works day to day in your building. The superintendent for how the whole district runs. The School Committee hires exactly one employee, the superintendent, so a question about any other staff member goes to the district, not to the board.
Want to know how Haverhill’s students are actually doing? Dig into the district’s enrollment and performance data.