City Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Liam Skinner
Liam Skinner runs one of the largest and most diverse school districts in Massachusetts: more than 14,000 students across 24 schools, speaking dozens of languages. He led the district as interim superintendent starting in June 2023 and was made permanent in January 2024. The School Committee hires the superintendent and he answers to it, but the day-to-day job is his: instruction, the budget, hiring, and the thousand decisions that keep the schools running.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| In office | Permanent since January 2024 (interim from June 2023) |
| District office | 155 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852 |
| Phone | 978-674-4324 |
| Website | lowell.k12.ma.us |
The School Committee
Lowell’s School Committee has seven members. The Mayor chairs it, two members are elected citywide, and four are elected from districts. Like the City Council, that mix of citywide and district seats came out of the 2021 voting-rights settlement. The Committee sets district policy, adopts the school budget, and hires and evaluates the superintendent who runs your schools.
Erik Gitschier
Danielle McFadden
Connie A. Martin
Fred Bahou
Eileen DelRossi
David Conway
Dominik Lay
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: more than 14,000 students, from PreK through grade 12.
- Schools: 24, including Lowell High School, one of the largest high schools in the state.
- Diversity: students speak dozens of languages, and Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian-American community in the country.
- State data: DESE district profile (code 01600000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the School Committee meets twice monthly; agendas are posted on the city’s Agenda Center.
- Public comment: residents may address the Committee, check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings air on LTC Channel 99 and are available on demand.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work happens in subcommittees on finance, curriculum, facilities, and more.
Sources
Lowell government website (lowellma.gov). 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 turn how your schools are run into a civics project of your own? Start with the Civics Project Guide.