Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Jeffrey Schoonover
About 1,524 students start their day in Somerset Public Schools, and one person answers for all of it. Jeffrey Schoonover is Superintendent of both Somerset Public Schools, which runs four schools from pre-K through grade 8, and the Somerset Berkley Regional School District, which runs the high school Somerset shares with Berkley. He proposes each budget, sets academic priorities, and runs the districts day to day. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which evaluates him against goals it sets.
You can watch that job happen. On April 14, 2026 the Superintendent presented a 2026-27 school budget of $26,889,305 to a joint meeting of the School Committee, the Board of Selectmen and the Advisory and Finance Committee, an increase of 3.59 percent, and he explained how it had come down from a January figure of $28,136,655. That meeting was public, it was on Zoom, and the recording is online. A budget is a set of choices, and Somerset makes them where residents can see.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 580 Whetstone Hill Road, Somerset, MA 02726 |
| Phone | 508-324-3100 |
| Website | somersetschools.org |
The School Committee
The Somerset School Committee has five members elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms. It sets district policy for pre-K through grade 8, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent. Two of its members, John Ventura and Carlton Medeiros, also sit on the Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee, which governs the high school, so the two districts stay in the same conversation. The meetings are public, which means a Somerset student who shows up can speak.
Jennifer Ashley
John Ventura
Christine Courville
Victor Machado, Jr.
Carlton Medeiros
The district publishes one address that reaches all five members at once, and the current roster and term dates are posted at somersetschools.org.
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 1,524 students.
- Schools: four, pre-K through grade 8.
- High school: Somerset Berkley Regional High School, shared with Berkley.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02730000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: Tuesday evenings, more often during budget season, with agendas posted in the town’s Agenda Center and on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried on Somerset Access Television and posted online.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on collective bargaining, policy, redistricting and transportation happens in subcommittees, and the district publishes which member sits on which.
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