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April 7, 2013

Joseph Sawyer: Superintendent, Shrewsbury Public Schools

Matt Volpini

Working in public education can be rewarding.

But to anyone who thinks it's easy, dispel that notion now. Running a school district is expensive, there's rarely enough money, and teacher job cuts are often a looming prospect.

Even in Shrewsbury — a town with an above-average household median income, a below-average unemployment rate and a reputation for having strong and innovative schools — the challenges persist.

Balancing the schools' operational needs is Joseph Sawyer, a town resident who has been with the district for 16 years, the past four as superintendent.

"I think everyone acknowledges that the schools need more resources," Sawyer said. "The question is: Where would those resources come from?"

Budget Concerns

Shrewsbury is in a tight spot right now. The district had to cut 31 positions in 2012, and unless it can find about $4 million, may have to eliminate another 23 in the coming school year.

Sawyer describes budget discussions with the town's selectmen as a collaborative process in which all parties would like the schools to be supported.

But as superintendent, Sawyer also sees it as his role to go to bat for the schools, stressing the needs that exist and highlighting rising expenses.

At risk in the tight fiscal climate, Sawyer argues, is the quality of the education the system can provide to Shrewsbury children.

"We have class sizes that are above our guidelines and really stressing our capacity," he said. "We've lost some leadership curriculum support. There's one principal between two schools right now."

But there's a long way to go to get from the selectmen and town manager's $50.2 million budget proposal for the school's to the $54.3 million the district is asking for, which would have added back about 20 staff positions lost last year. Sawyer has pegged $52.4 million as a budget that would allow the schools to keep level services, but not hire back teachers.

The likely result is a compromise somewhere in the middle, though the school committee recently asked selectmen to approve an override to help close the gap. The board was weighing its options as of press time.

Erin Canzano, the school committee's chairwoman, said there's nobody else she'd rather have advocating for the schools during tough fiscal talks.

"He remains calm when the storm is occurring around him," Canzano said.

Bringing Tech To Middle Schoolers

This year's financial challenges aside, it's important to note that Shrewsbury has had a recent string of successes.

Its newly constructed Sherwood Middle School opened in January, seven months ahead of schedule and more than $5 million under budget. The project garnered support in the form of a $23-million debt exclusion override.

Under Sawyer, the district has also reached out to area businesses for support.

In February, Central One Federal Credit Union — which operates a branch in the high school — donated $20,000 to the athletics program.

And the town is one of the few in the state that has introduced new technologies into its curriculum. The school's so-called iPad initiative — which puts the tablet computers into the hands of the 5th- and 6th- graders who attend Sherwood — garnered lots of local headlines when it launched as a pilot program in 2011 and was expanded to all middle school students in the current school year.

Sawyer sees education changing quickly because of such technology.

"This is the future of education," he said. "We see it as highly motivating. " n

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Joseph Sawyer, Shrewsbury Superintendent

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