City Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Brian Allen
Brian Allen became Superintendent of the Worcester Public Schools on July 1, 2025, appointed by the School Committee to a three-year term. He is a Worcester native who graduated from South High Community School, and he spent more than three decades inside the district, most recently as its Deputy Superintendent and chief financial and operations officer, before taking the top job. He now leads one of the largest and most diverse districts in Massachusetts, about 24,800 students across 47 schools. Like every Worcester superintendent, he is hired by and answers to the School Committee, which means the elected board you can contact holds power over the person who runs your schools.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| In office | Since July 1, 2025 |
| District office | 20 Irving Street, Worcester, MA 01609 |
| Phone | 508-799-3115 |
| Website | worcesterschools.org |
The School Committee
Worcester’s School Committee has nine members: the Mayor, who chairs it, two members elected city-wide, and six elected from districts. Those district seats are new. They were first filled in November 2023, after a legal challenge argued that the old all-citywide system made it too hard for the city’s neighborhoods and communities of color to win representation. The Committee sets district policy, adopts the school budget, and hires, evaluates, and can replace the Superintendent.
Joseph M. Petty
Maureen F. Binienda
Susan M. Mailman
Molly O. McCullough
Vanessa Z. Alvarez
Dianna Biancheria
Alejandro Guardiola, Jr.
Kathleen L. Roy
Jermaine L. Johnson
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 24,800 students, PreK-12.
- Schools: 47, including five comprehensive high schools and Worcester Technical High School.
- Diversity: a majority-minority district where students speak dozens of languages; most are classified by the state as high-needs.
- State data: DESE profile (code 03480000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: twice a month, with agendas posted ahead of time on the district and city meeting portals.
- Public comment: residents can address the Committee directly. Check the agenda for how to sign up.
- Watch: meetings air on the city’s government channel and stream on demand.
- Where the work happens: much of the detail is hammered out in standing committees on finance, governance, and student success.
Sources
Worcester school committee (worcesterschools.org). Verified July 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.
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