Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
How Schooling Works in Tyringham
Tyringham is too small to run a school of its own, so the state classifies it as a non-operating district: the town pays tuition to send every one of its students to the Lee Public Schools, and Tyringham and Lee share a Superintendency Union. That is why the figures on the student page describe Lee, not Tyringham. Even so, Tyringham keeps a real voice in its children’s education, because it elects its own three-member School Committee whose job is to watch the tuition money and to speak for Tyringham students in a district run from the next town over.
The Superintendent
Michael Richard
About 648 students start their day in the Lee Public Schools, and one person answers for all of it. Michael Richard is the Superintendent of the Lee schools, where Tyringham’s students are enrolled, proposing the school budget, setting academic priorities, and running the district day to day. He is hired by and reports to the Lee School Committee, which carries out his annual evaluation. Tyringham’s own School Committee does not hire him, but it works with his office on behalf of the Tyringham families whose children he teaches.
| Role | Superintendent of the Lee Public Schools |
|---|---|
| Serves | Lee students and the Tyringham students tuitioned into Lee |
| Tyringham schools page | tyringham-ma.gov/Schools |
Tyringham’s School Committee
Tyringham elects a three-member School Committee, town-wide, to staggered terms. It does not run a school building, but it oversees the town’s tuition arrangement with Lee, keeps watch on how that money is spent, and gives Tyringham families a body of their own to bring concerns to. Its meetings are public, held about once a month with a break in July and August, which means a Tyringham student who shows up can speak.
Amy Puntin
David Clark
Lisa Southard
Chair Amy Puntin can be reached through the committee at 413-243-2203. Rosters and agendas are posted at tyringham-ma.gov.
The Lee District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 648 students, PreK through 12.
- Schools: two, Lee Elementary and Lee Middle and High School.
- Graduation rate: 98.2%.
- State data: DESE profile (code 01500000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: Tyringham’s School Committee meets about once a month, with agendas posted on the town website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Tuition oversight: the committee’s central job is watching how the town’s school-tuition dollars are spent at Lee.
- Run for a seat: the three seats are elected town-wide, so a resident can stand for one on the annual town ballot.
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