Newburyport Public Schools
School Committee & Superintendent
Who Runs the Schools
Seven people set policy for Newburyport Public Schools, and you elect six of them. Those six run at large, by every voter in the city rather than by ward, and they serve four year terms arranged so that at least three seats are on the ballot at each city election. The seventh member is the Mayor, who chairs the committee, appoints every subcommittee, and votes on every measure like anyone else. That is the charter, Sections 4-1 and 4-2.
The committee does three things that reach a student directly: it writes the policies the schools run on, it approves the school budget before that budget goes to the City Council, and it hires the Superintendent. It does not run a building, hire a teacher, or set a grade. That is the Superintendent’s side of the line, and knowing which side your question falls on is the fastest way to get an answer.
At the January 5, 2026 organization of the committee, the City Clerk called the roll, the newly elected members took the oath, and the committee elected Juliet Walker Vice Chair unanimously.
Committee Members
Sean Reardon
Juliet Walker
Andrew Boger
Breanna Higgins
Kathleen Shaw
Lauren Eramo
John Ricci
The full committee can be reached by email at sc@newburyport.k12.ma.us. Business meetings are typically held at 6:30 PM on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month during the school year at the Senior Community Center, and the district posts the full calendar.
The Superintendent
Sean T. Gallagher
Sean T. Gallagher is Superintendent of Newburyport Public Schools. He joined the district in 2018, and he says in his own welcome letter on the district site that what he learned first were the Clipper traditions: students young and old wearing maroon and gold, and rituals handed down across generations.
The Superintendent runs the district the committee sets policy for: 2,104 students across four schools, the staff who teach them, and the budget that pays for both. He writes to families directly through regular messages to the community, which the district publishes and archives.
| District | Newburyport Public Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 70 Low Street, Newburyport, MA 01950 |
| Phone | 978-465-4456 |
| Website | newburyport.k12.ma.us |
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 2,104 students.
- Schools: four. Francis T Bresnahan Elementary, Edward G. Molin Elementary School, Rupert A Nock Middle, and Newburyport High.
- Four year graduation rate: 97.1 percent.
- State profile: DESE profile (code 02040000).
The numbers behind the district, in full.