Tewksbury committee moves to offer Dr. Nancy Milligan superintendent post after public interview
March 12, 2026 | Tewksbury Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts
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The Tewksbury School Committee voted on March 11 to take the steps necessary to offer Dr. Nancy Milligan the district’s superintendent position after a public interview and open deliberation.
Dr. Nancy Milligan, who identified herself as the district’s assistant superintendent for the last two years, opened the meeting with a prepared statement highlighting 26 years in education and a focus on data, equity and coherent systems. “This is not an audition for me, but is a commitment,” she said, later adding, “I am ready to earn this community’s trust every single day.”
Committee members questioned Milligan on transition planning, improving classroom instruction and literacy results, the district’s response to a recent special education audit, rising budget pressures and the upcoming facilities and safety assessments. Milligan said her approach rests on three priorities — curriculum, assessment and instruction — and emphasized using common assessments and screeners alongside MCAS to track student progress. She described tier‑1 inclusive instruction as the baseline for serving diverse learners and said the district had created the EPIC (Educational Programming Improvement Council) committee to act on special‑education audit findings.
On budget issues Milligan proposed route analysis and coordination with neighboring districts for transportation, closer examination of out‑of‑district placements to identify services that could be offered locally, and strategic use of attrition and coaching to maximize staff capacity. On facilities and safety she said short‑term, low‑cost fixes should be pursued first while bigger renovations would follow a transparent facilities‑study process; safety audits, she said, require a narrower internal stakeholder group to avoid compromising security details.
During an open deliberation period several members praised Milligan’s readiness and continuity with district work. “I think she’d be an excellent superintendent for us,” said Chris Cutlass, a committee member. Another member said Milligan “did a satisfactory job of hitting all of the points” in the leadership profile the committee had developed.
A motion to move forward with the steps necessary to offer Dr. Milligan the position was made, seconded and approved by recorded voice vote. The chair said the next steps are to check references and enter contract negotiations, subject to legal review. The committee also canceled its March 12 meeting and scheduled a public budget hearing for March 18 at 5 p.m.
The committee’s action on March 11 was procedural — it advances contract talks and reference checks but does not finalize an employment agreement. Members said any formal offer would be contingent on the outcomes of those checks and negotiations.
Dr. Nancy Milligan, who identified herself as the district’s assistant superintendent for the last two years, opened the meeting with a prepared statement highlighting 26 years in education and a focus on data, equity and coherent systems. “This is not an audition for me, but is a commitment,” she said, later adding, “I am ready to earn this community’s trust every single day.”
Committee members questioned Milligan on transition planning, improving classroom instruction and literacy results, the district’s response to a recent special education audit, rising budget pressures and the upcoming facilities and safety assessments. Milligan said her approach rests on three priorities — curriculum, assessment and instruction — and emphasized using common assessments and screeners alongside MCAS to track student progress. She described tier‑1 inclusive instruction as the baseline for serving diverse learners and said the district had created the EPIC (Educational Programming Improvement Council) committee to act on special‑education audit findings.
On budget issues Milligan proposed route analysis and coordination with neighboring districts for transportation, closer examination of out‑of‑district placements to identify services that could be offered locally, and strategic use of attrition and coaching to maximize staff capacity. On facilities and safety she said short‑term, low‑cost fixes should be pursued first while bigger renovations would follow a transparent facilities‑study process; safety audits, she said, require a narrower internal stakeholder group to avoid compromising security details.
During an open deliberation period several members praised Milligan’s readiness and continuity with district work. “I think she’d be an excellent superintendent for us,” said Chris Cutlass, a committee member. Another member said Milligan “did a satisfactory job of hitting all of the points” in the leadership profile the committee had developed.
A motion to move forward with the steps necessary to offer Dr. Milligan the position was made, seconded and approved by recorded voice vote. The chair said the next steps are to check references and enter contract negotiations, subject to legal review. The committee also canceled its March 12 meeting and scheduled a public budget hearing for March 18 at 5 p.m.
The committee’s action on March 11 was procedural — it advances contract talks and reference checks but does not finalize an employment agreement. Members said any formal offer would be contingent on the outcomes of those checks and negotiations.
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