Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
James Reilly, Ed.D.
About 6,427 students start their day in this district, and one person answers for all of it. James Reilly leads the Wachusett Regional School District, proposing the district budget, setting academic priorities, and running a system of thirteen schools day to day. Princeton’s own Thomas Prince School, which serves kindergarten through grade 8, is one of them, and the town’s older students go on to Wachusett Regional High School in Holden. 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 five towns at once, Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland and Sterling, so no single town’s voters can pass the school budget alone.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 1745 Main Street, Jefferson, MA 01522 |
| Phone | 508-829-1670 |
| Website | wrsd.net |
The School Committee
The Wachusett Regional School District Committee has sixteen members serving staggered three-year terms, apportioned among the five towns by population: six from Holden, three each from Rutland and Sterling, and two each from Princeton and Paxton. Princeton’s two seats are the town’s direct voice on the district budget and district policy. The committee sets that policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. Its meetings, usually on Monday evenings at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, are public, which means a Princeton student who shows up can speak.
Linda Woodland
Shannon Poole
Paul DuBois
Dana Lorway
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 6,427 students, PreK through 12.
- Schools: thirteen, including Wachusett Regional High School and Princeton’s Thomas Prince School.
- Graduation rate: 93.9%.
- State data: DESE profile (code 07750000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: usually Monday evenings at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, with agendas posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried on the town’s public access channel and posted online.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in subcommittees.
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