Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Darius Modestow
About 173 students in grades PreK to 6 start their day in Sunderland’s own elementary district, and one office answers for all of it. Darius Modestow is Superintendent of the Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts, a shared office that serves Sunderland along with Deerfield, Conway, and Whately. He 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 committees, which carry out an annual evaluation. Sunderland keeps its own five-member Elementary School Committee for the PreK to 6 grades. In grade 7 Sunderland students move to Frontier Regional School under a separately elected regional committee, so a Sunderland family has two different sets of school seats it can run for and two different rooms it can show up in.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools (Frontier Regional and Union 38) |
|---|---|
| Serves | Sunderland, Deerfield, Conway, and Whately |
| Office | 113 North Main Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373 |
| Phone | 413-665-1155 |
| Website | frsu38.org |
The School Committee
The Sunderland Elementary School Committee has five members serving staggered three-year terms, all elected town-wide by Sunderland voters. The committee sets policy for the town’s PreK to 6 district, approves its school budget, and works with the shared Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. Its meetings are public, which means a Sunderland student who shows up can speak.
Jessica Corwin
Meghan Arquin
Amanda Wygant
Louai Abu-Osba
Joseph Elias
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 173 students, grades PreK to 6.
- School: Sunderland Elementary School.
- Grades 7 to 12: Frontier Regional School, shared with Deerfield, Conway, and Whately.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02890000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: on the dates posted in the district school committee calendar, with agendas on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are posted online through the district.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in subcommittees.
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