Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Deborah J. Boyd
About 795 students start their day in Sturbridge’s own elementary district, and one person answers for the schools they attend. Deborah J. Boyd is Superintendent of Schools for the Tantasqua Regional and School Union 61 districts, which together cover Burgess Elementary here in town and the regional junior and senior high schools that Sturbridge students move on to. She proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and runs the schools day to day. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which carries out an annual evaluation.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools (Tantasqua Regional and School Union 61) |
|---|---|
| District office | 320A Brookfield Road, Fiskdale, MA 01518 |
| Phone | 508-347-3077 |
| Website | tantasqua.org |
The School Committee
Sturbridge splits its schools in two, and this committee governs the town’s own half. The Sturbridge School Committee has five members, elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms, and it oversees Burgess Elementary under School Union 61. It sets policy for that school, approves its budget, and shares in hiring and evaluating the Superintendent. Grades seven through twelve are governed by the separate Tantasqua Regional School Committee, which Sturbridge shares with Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, and Wales. The Sturbridge committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at Burgess Elementary, and the meetings are public, which means a Sturbridge student who shows up can speak.
Samantha L. Kaitbenski
Jacqueline Chechile
Katie-Lynn Gendron
Whitney Goodwin
Mary Burns
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 795 students in the Sturbridge elementary district.
- Elementary school: Burgess Elementary, run by the town through School Union 61.
- Grades 7 to 12: the regional Tantasqua district, shared with four neighboring towns.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02870000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at Burgess Elementary, with agendas posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: agendas and materials are posted on the Tantasqua and Union 61 district website.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in subcommittees.
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