Town Government
Reading School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Dr. Henry Turner
3,862 Reading students start their day in this district, and one person answers for all of it. Dr. Henry Turner is Reading’s superintendent, new to the job for the 2026-27 school year, and his first months have been built around listening: the district has published his entry plan, opened an entry survey, and posted sign-ups for open office hours. The mechanics of the office do not change with the officeholder. The superintendent proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and runs a system of nine schools day to day, and he is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which evaluates his work. The school budget he proposes still needs the committee’s approval, and its total still needs the vote of Town Meeting, so a question about your school’s money has three doors you can knock on.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| In office | Took office for the 2026-27 school year |
| District office | 82 Oakland Road, Reading, MA 01867 |
| Phone | 781-944-5800 |
| Website | reading.k12.ma.us |
The School Committee
Reading’s School Committee has six members, elected town-wide to overlapping terms, and two of the six seats were on the April 2026 ballot, when Erin Gaffen was re-elected and Geoffrey Coram won his seat. 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 Reading student who shows up can speak. The current roster and meeting materials are on the town’s School Committee page and the district’s own site.
Shawn Brandt
Lara Durgavich
Geoffrey Coram
Erin Gaffen
Sarah McLaughlin
Thomas Wise
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 3,862 students, PreK through 12.
- Schools: nine, including Reading Memorial High School.
- Graduation rate: 98.1% of students graduate in four years.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02460000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: meeting dates, agendas, and packets are posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee with the chair’s permission. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Write to the whole committee: schoolcommittee@reading.k12.ma.us reaches every member, and mail to the committee becomes part of the public record.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in smaller sessions before the full committee votes.
Sources
Reading School Committee (reading.k12.ma.us). Verified August 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 the policies in the student handbook. It sets district policy, and the total size of the school budget is voted by Town Meeting.
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 selects the superintendent, and the superintendent appoints the principals, so a question about any other staff member goes to the district, not to the board.
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