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Lawrence Public Schools
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Ralph Carrero
Ralph Carrero became superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in 2024. He came to the role from the Lawrence Family Development Charter School, a dual-language K–8 school he helped found and led as director/superintendent, and spent 18 years before that at Greater Lawrence Technical High School. Carrero immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a child and grew up in Lawrence; in 1992 he became the first Hispanic resident elected to public office in the city, serving a decade on the Lawrence School Committee. Under the district’s current receivership, he runs the schools day to day and reports to the state-appointed receiver.
| Role | Superintendent, Lawrence Public Schools (since 2024) |
|---|---|
| Central Office | 237 Essex Street, Lawrence, MA 01840 |
| Phone | (978) 975-5900 |
| Website | lawrence.k12.ma.us |
State Receivership: How Lawrence’s Schools Are Governed
Lawrence Public Schools has been under Massachusetts state receivership since 2011, after years of chronic underperformance. That means the district has been run on the state’s behalf rather than by a locally controlled school board.
- The Receiver: Effective January 2026, the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education appointed Dr. Lauren Woo, a DESE deputy commissioner, as the individual receiver of Lawrence Public Schools, replacing the previous nonprofit receivership board.
- The Superintendent: Ralph Carrero continues to run the district day to day and reports to the receiver.
- Toward local control: the receiver is guiding a multi-phase plan to build the elected School Committee’s capacity for an eventual return to local control.
The School Committee
Lawrence has an elected School Committee, chaired by the mayor, that was seated in January 2026 and is being prepared to resume governing the district. The committee includes both elected and appointed members. All members can be reached through the School Department Central Office at 237 Essex Street, (978) 975-5900.
Brian A. De Peña
Jonathan Guzman
Quin Gonell
Jessica Marie Ramirez
Donna Bertolino
Michael Armano
Jesus Suriel
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 12,955 students (2025–26).
- Schools: 26 schools, from early childhood centers through Lawrence High School.
- Lawrence High School: one of the largest high schools in Massachusetts, with roughly 3,280 students.
- Student body: about 95% Hispanic/Latino, with a high share of English learners.
- DESE district code: 01490000.
- State profile: Lawrence on DESE School & District Profiles.
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