Town Government
Merrimac School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Justin Bartholomew
About 2,285 students start their day in this district, and one person answers for all of it. Justin Bartholomew is the Superintendent of the Pentucket Regional School District, proposing the school budget, setting academic priorities, and running the schools day to day. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which carries out an annual evaluation. Because the district is regional, that committee answers to three towns at once: it seats nine members, three each from Merrimac, Groveland and West Newbury, so no single town controls it and Merrimac speaks through its three seats.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| District | Pentucket Regional School District (Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury) |
| Website | prsd.org |
The School Committee
The Pentucket Regional School Committee has nine members serving staggered three-year terms, three from each of the three district towns and elected by the voters of Merrimac, Groveland and West Newbury together. The committee sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. Its meetings are public, which means a Merrimac student who shows up can speak.
Emily Zeitsev
Brienne Walsh
Julie King
Maritza Smith
Beth Greenhagen
Michael Hawes
Kelly Beaton
Dena Trotta
Nate Frieswyk
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 2,285 students across the three towns.
- Schools: an elementary school in each town, plus the shared Pentucket Regional Middle-High School.
- Graduation rate: 98.1%.
- State data: DESE profile (code 07450000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the committee posts its meeting schedule and agendas on the district website, prsd.org.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee with the chair’s permission. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried on the town’s public access channel and posted online.
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