Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Michael S. Nelson
About 451 students start their day at Rochester Memorial School, the town’s own PreK through grade 6 school, and one office answers for all of it. Michael S. Nelson is Superintendent of the Old Rochester Regional School District, the shared administration Rochester runs with Marion and Mattapoisett, and he oversees Rochester Memorial along with the regional junior and senior high schools the three towns share. The Superintendent proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and is hired and evaluated by the elected School Committee. In Rochester the school budget does not become real until Town Meeting votes it, so the Superintendent’s plan travels from the committee to the floor of the annual meeting, where every registered voter can weigh in.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools, Old Rochester Regional |
|---|---|
| Serves | Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester |
| michaelnelson@oldrochester.org | |
| Website | oldrochester.org |
The School Committee
The Rochester Memorial School Committee has five members elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms. It sets policy for Rochester Memorial School, approves its budget, and shares Superintendent Michael S. Nelson with the Old Rochester Regional district. Its meetings are public, which means a Rochester student who shows up can speak. Rochester voters also elect members to the Old Rochester Regional School District Committee and the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School Committee, the bodies that govern the schools the town shares with Marion and Mattapoisett.
Kate Duggan
Joshua Trombly
Robin Rounseville
Kirstin Jimenez
Isabel Gomes-McCann
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 451 students, PreK through grade 6.
- Town school: Rochester Memorial School.
- Older grades: the Old Rochester Regional junior and senior high schools, shared with Marion and Mattapoisett.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02500000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: monthly during the school year, with agendas posted on the district website, oldrochester.org.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried on ORCTV, the tri-town community access channel, and posted online.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in subcommittees.
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