Athol-Royalston School Committee Extends Superintendent's Contract 5-4, Two Members Resign

School Committee · Meeting of June 17, 2026

Athol-Royalston School Committee votes 5-4 to extend superintendent's contract, triggering same-night resignations from chair and one member. The committee voted Tuesday to extend Superintendent Matt Aronworth's contract by three years with salary to be negotiated, over objections that the vote was added late to the agenda with less than a full committee present. Committee Chair Lee Chavette and member Kylie Hall both resigned effective immediately after the roll call, with Chavette stating he did not support "the fast-track railroading through of a contract extension for the superintendent when we did it just less than a year ago." During public comment, resident Carrie Conway had urged delay, citing declining state accountability ratings across all four district schools and noting Aronworth had been publicly identified as a finalist for the superintendent position in the Blackstone Millville School District on June 5.

Chavette also resigned as chairman of the district's Massachusetts School Building Authority high school project committee, leaving that initiative without a designated chair.

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• The complete report — 2,616 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of June 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.