By Max Bowen
max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
The Mansfield School Committee has appointed North Attleborough’s Michelle McKeon as the next Superintendent of Schools, in a statement from the district.
Pending successful contract negotiations, McKeon will replace longtime Superintendent Teresa Murphy, who will retire in June.
McKeon, the assistant superintendent for North Attleborough Public Schools, was one of three finalists the Superintendent Search Committee chose. Twenty two applications were received during the search process.
The Mansfield School Committee unanimously approved McKeon’s appointment at a meeting on Monday, Feb. 10.
“I am honored to be appointed as Mansfield’s next superintendent of schools,” McKeon said in a statement. “Throughout the search process, I was deeply impressed by the district’s strong commitment to supporting all students, and I look forward to working alongside educators, families, and community members to continue building on the district’s strengths and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive.”
In an email, North Attleborough Superintendent John Antonucci said, “Although it will be a big loss for the North Attleborough Public Schools, I am thrilled for Michelle and immensely proud of her. She is an exceptional leader, a great colleague, and there is no doubt she will be a great Superintendent – Mansfield is lucky to have her.”
McKeon has held several positions working in North Attleborough, including school principal, lead elementary principal, assistant principal, and elementary and special education teacher. She was named assistant superintendent in 2019.
She holds a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University in Cambridge. She is working toward her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Boston University, to be conferred in May.
“The search for our next superintendent of schools has been an extensive and inclusive process that involved all facets of our community,” Mansfield School Committee Chair Steve Schoonveld said in a statement. “We were given the opportunity to identify the best leader to build upon the strong foundation we have in place as a District for the years to come. As a result of the process, each School Committee member came to the same consensus that Michelle McKeon was the clear choice to lead Mansfield Public Schools, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
Mansfield’s Superintendent Search Committee comprised 13 members representing a cross-section of the Mansfield school community, including School Committee members, town officials, parents/guardians, administrators, teachers, staff, and one Mansfield High student. The Search Committee was co-chaired and led by School Committee members Lynn Cavicchi and Schoonveld.
With support from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), the School Committee kicked off the search process in December by sharing a survey with District stakeholders as part of its community engagement efforts. The committee received 394 responses from stakeholders discussing their wants/hopes for the next superintendent.
