Braintree Superintendent Not Picked For Waltham Job

BRAINTREE, MA — Superintendent Frank Hackett will remain in the Braintree School District for now after not being selected for the Waltham job. The Waltham School Committee selected Brian Reagan, the assistant superintendent in Wilmington, to head the district, the Patriot Ledger reported.

Hackett was one of four finalists being considered to be Waltham's next superintendent. Hackett, who is in his fifth year in the Braintree School District, interviewed for the job Feb. 1.

While serving in Braintree, Hackett led the charge in recommending Grade 5 students be moved to classrooms in the middle schools to free up space in the elementary schools. The plan was to add an addition to East Middle School and build a new South Middle School.

Grade 5 students are expected to move to East Middle School next year when construction is complete. As for the South Middle School, the project was granted $31 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Mayor Charles Kokoros has proposed a debt exclusion to cover the rest of the cost. Kokoros said the debt exclusion would cost about $63 million over a 30-year period.

Prior to coming to Braintree, Hackett was the superintendent in Pembroke for eight years and also spent 20 years as a principle and office administrator in Maine. He has his Doctorate of Education from the University of Maine.