The Norwell School Committee voted unanimously last month to give Superintendent Matthew Keegan a 3.5% merit raise, crediting him with steering the district through a year marked by a failed override and deep staffing cuts.
Warren McCallum, the district's director of finance, operations and technology, said Keegan's budgeted salary is $264,450, with the committee's 3.5% raise this year adding about $9,256 on top, bringing his salary to roughly $273,706. South Shore Times previously reported that the committee approved a $34.7 million budget for fiscal 2027 in April, a 4% increase that came with no override and no further layoffs or program cuts, according to Keegan's own budget presentation at the time.
Committee Chair Kristin McEachern read the committee's year-end evaluation of Keegan into the record during the Aug. 17 meeting, describing the 2025-26 school year as "a challenging one due to a failed override and subsequent cuts across the district." The evaluation, read aloud in full, said the elimination of several teachers and support staff created a ripple effect that increased demands on remaining staff, compounded by an unusually high number of medical leaves.
As a result, the evaluation said, it was essential that Keegan stay closely attuned to the environment, meeting regularly with school and union leadership to address morale. The document also credited him with balancing significant budget cuts against rising costs in utilities, technology, curriculum, special education and maintenance, producing a year-end balanced budget through multi-year planning.
Keegan told the committee the year tested the district in ways that stretched beyond the budget itself. He said the new strategic plan helped unify staff around common goals in its first year of rollout, and that the effort tied to the Massachusetts School Building Authority process for a new or renovated high school had picked up considerably once the school building committees began meeting almost weekly.
"And overall, it was a difficult year in some ways because we did have to make some cuts and put everything back together again," Keegan said. He added that the district was reaching a favorable position on selecting an owner's project manager for the building project, even as the broader budget picture remained tight.
McEachern, addressing the broader tenor of the year, said the committee recognized the strain that came with the cuts. "It was not always easy environment to work within," she said, adding that the district worked to make sure students did not lose out despite the reductions.
The evaluation also praised Keegan's accessibility to families, staff and town officials, noting he collaborates regularly with town department heads, particularly as Norwell faces the prospect of another override. At the same time, the document said some community members have told the committee they are not always aware of school initiatives, and it encouraged Keegan to keep building more transparent communication, including a possible consolidated newsletter.
Beyond the budget, the evaluation cited a year of district-wide training on Universal Design for Learning, an approach meant to broaden access to instruction for every student. It also pointed to continued work refining the Norwell Tiered System of Support, a multi-year effort to document resources and interventions for struggling learners, and progress on the Massachusetts School Building Authority feasibility study for a new or renovated high school.
Town voters approved an MSBA feasibility study in May 2025, and the evaluation credited Keegan and McCallum with completing the process's first module by December, followed by acceptance of Norwell High School into the feasibility study phase in February. The evaluation said all materials for selecting an owner's project manager were on track for submission to the state in August. The document also noted Keegan oversaw a new three-year contract with the district's secretaries and aides union and a new districtwide custodial contract during the year, along with the hiring and onboarding of a new director of teaching, learning and technology.
The committee's motion, approved without objection, formally extended Keegan's 3.5% merit increase based on the 2025-26 evaluation. The written evaluation also encouraged Keegan to keep soliciting feedback directly from students as the district moves closer to a decision on the future of Norwell High School, with a funding vote expected to go before town meeting around the fall of 2028.