LYNNFIELD — The School Committee has granted a three-year contract extension for Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel.
The new contract is effective July 1 and goes through June 30, 2026.
“Thinking of everything this school district accomplished in that time (since Vogel arrived in 2020) for our students, families, teachers, and staff was admirable,” said School Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg on the 2021-22 school year and Vogel’s role in it.
He said that even through the pandemic Vogel proved herself as a strong leader and invaluable member of the Lynnfield Emergency Management Team, while at the same time also maintaining her focus as a student-centered decision-maker.
“(She was) always making decisions that put our students first,” said Sjoberg.
Between students returning to school in-person last year, and keeping the schools open during the surge of the virus this past winter, Vogel and her administrative leadership team are now concentrating on social and emotional problems students are facing post-pandemic. Addressing academic gaps are among the superintendent’s priorities for the duration of her contract.
“We have focused this year on the social-emotional needs and challenges students are experiencing as a result of the past two years, and at the same time, move forward with learning while identifying and filling gaps in learning for all students,” said Vogel.
The district is also moving toward creating a district-wide handbook so that information for all schools is in one place and more accessible to families, while a new website and student-information system that should be introduced in the fall “makes access and communication better and clearer for all stakeholders,” said Vogel.
Vogel, whom the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents recommended to serve as the first female superintendent on the Ice Hockey Committee at Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), was a girl’s ice hockey coach for seven years at Governor’s Academy and played Division 1 college hockey at St. Lawrence University.
Sjoberg said Vogel worked “tirelessly to continue to build leadership capacity within the district.”
Her accomplishments included the permanent hiring of a new principal at the Summer Street School, the expansion of the Lynnfield High School athletic director’s position to include a health and wellness and physical-education coordinator component for all students in kindergarten through grade 12, and overcoming fiscal challenges.
Under Vogel’s leadership, school administrators and educators have refined their visions and core values for this year, and they have also completed the first part of construction on the new additions to both town elementary schools.
“We look forward to Superintendent Vogel continuing positive progression for what is already offered as an excellent education foundation here in Lynnfield,” said Sjoberg. “This committee has the confidence Superintendent Vogel will grow in her role and continue to exceed our expectations.”
