Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Elizabeth Zielinski
About 133 students start their day at Petersham Center School, and the schools that carry Petersham’s children run in two parts. The town keeps its own elementary district, Petersham Center, for grades PK to 6, with its own elected School Committee. When students reach grade seven they cross into the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District, which Petersham shares with New Salem, Orange, and Wendell under School Union 73. Elizabeth Zielinski is Superintendent of the Mahar Regional district and of School Union 73, so one office answers for the whole path from kindergarten through high school. The Superintendent proposes the school budgets, sets academic priorities, and is hired by and reports to the elected committees, which carry out an annual evaluation.
| Role | Superintendent, Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District and School Union 73 |
|---|---|
| Serves | Petersham, New Salem, Orange, and Wendell |
| Phone | 978-544-2542 |
| District office | Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District, Orange, Massachusetts |
The School Committee
The Petersham School Committee has three members, elected town-wide, and it governs Petersham Center School: it sets policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent together with the other Union 73 committees. Its chair is Lynn Peredina. For grades 7 to 12, Petersham voters also elect representatives to the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School Committee, which governs the regional junior high and high school in Orange and is made up of members from all four district towns.
Lynn Peredina
Lynne Feldman
Aaron Kessman
Full roster and meeting schedule: Petersham School Committee on the town meeting portal.
The District at a Glance
- Petersham Center district: 133 students, one school, grades PK through 6.
- Grades 7 to 12: Ralph C. Mahar Regional in Orange, shared with New Salem, Orange, and Wendell.
- Per-pupil spending: $19,686.63 in the elementary district.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02340000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the Petersham committee meets monthly, with dates posted at the school and the town offices and on the town’s meeting portal.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Two rooms: elementary questions go to the Petersham committee; junior high and high school questions go to the Mahar Regional committee.
- The budget: the school budget still lands at Town Meeting, where every registered voter can vote on it.
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