Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Dr. Frank Hackett
About 4,341 Winchester students start their day in this district, and one person answers for all of it. Dr. Frank Hackett is the Superintendent of Schools: he proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and runs a system of seven schools day to day from the district office on Samoset Road. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which evaluates him and sets the policies he carries out. The split mirrors the one at Town Hall: the elected committee decides what the district does, and the superintendent decides how. That distinction matters when you want something changed, because a question about a course, a rule, or a school building starts with the administration, and a question about district policy or the budget belongs to the committee.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 40 Samoset Road, Winchester, MA 01890 |
| Phone | 781-721-7000 |
| Website | winchesterps.org |
The School Committee
Winchester’s School Committee has five members, all elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms. The committee sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. It meets twice a month on Thursday evenings from September through June, and the meetings are public, which means a Winchester student who shows up can speak.
Timothy J. Matthews
Stefanie Mnayarji
Karen Maruyama Bolognese
John Bellaire
Tom Hopcroft
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 4,341 students, PreK through 12.
- Schools: seven, including Winchester High School.
- Graduation rate: 96.0% four-year rate, the most recent the state publishes.
- State data: DESE profile (code 03440000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: twice a month on Thursday evenings from September through June, with agendas posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried by WinCAM, the town’s community media station.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and facilities happens in subcommittees.
Sources
Winchester School Committee (winchesterps.org) and the Superintendent’s Office page. Verified August 2026.
What this seat decides
Your schools
School Committee. Start times, the school calendar, bus routes and stops, the phone policy, athletics and activity fees, and anything in the student handbook. It sets district policy, and the total size of the school budget is voted by Town Meeting, or by your Mayor and Council in a city.
Your principal and your superintendent. The principal for how a school rule works day to day in your building. The superintendent for how the whole district runs. The School Committee hires exactly one employee, the superintendent, so a question about any other staff member goes to the district, not to the board.
Curious how a bill becomes law, or how students can take on a civics project?