Home›Rutland›School Committee

Town Government

Rutland 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. 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, Rutland among them, and the deputy superintendent is Jon Krol.

Role Superintendent of Schools
District office 1745 Main Street, Jefferson, MA 01522
Phone 508-829-1670
Website wrsd.net

The School Committee

Rutland does not run its own schools. It belongs to the Wachusett Regional School District along with Holden, Paxton, Princeton and Sterling, and a single regional committee governs all five towns. The committee has 16 seats, apportioned by town population and elected by the voters of each town: Holden holds six, Rutland and Sterling three each, and Paxton and Princeton two each. Rutland elects three of those members. The committee sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent. Its chair, Linda Woodland, is from Sterling, and its vice chair, Shannon Poole, is from Holden. Below are the two officers and Rutland’s own three members; the full roster is on the district site.

Chair, Sterling

Linda Woodland

Vice Chair, Holden

Shannon Poole

Member, Rutland

Brett Beardmore

Member, Rutland

Natalie Borreson

Member, Rutland

Kumara Govardhan

The District at a Glance

  • Enrollment: 6,427 students, PreK through 12.
  • Schools: thirteen, including Wachusett Regional High School.
  • Graduation rate: 93.9%.
  • State data: DESE profile (code 07750000).

Meetings & Participation

  • When: the committee meets about monthly on weeknights at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, with agendas posted on the district website.
  • Public comment: residents may address the committee with the chair’s permission. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
  • Watch: meetings are recorded and posted online through the district.

Curious how a bill becomes law, or how students can take on a civics project?

The Civics Project Guide