At a public meeting in the Bromfield School library Monday evening, the School Committee interviewed three finalists—from a pool of 24 applicants—to be Harvard’s next superintendent of schools. After hearing from each candidate, the committee voted unanimously to appoint Dana Labb, the current assistant superintendent, if they reach a contract agreement with him. Labb would succeed Superintendent Linda Dwight when she steps down in July 2026.
In an opening statement to the committee, Labb had said, “We are living in a moment of profound change. The haste and urgency of the world around us can send even the most grounded school system into a new and uncertain future. … I want to carry forward the vision and legacy of my predecessor, while helping this district take its next brave, deliberate steps. … And most importantly, I want to keep the focus squarely on our students—every student.”
Dana Labb. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
In discussion before the vote, School Committee member Amy Morton commented, “It’s clear that Dana loves this district and this town.” She also noted he had already been in charge of the district at times when Dwight was out of town.
School Committee Chair Abby Besse agreed, saying, “Dana could hit the ground running on July 1. He knows our educators and our students. He’s been through the budget with us.”
The 12-member Superintendent Screening Subcommittee—which included two School Committee members, other educators, parents, a student, and members of the school community—had selected eight candidates from the original pool of applicants for preliminary interviews. One candidate withdrew after receiving a job offer elsewhere, so seven people were interviewed in executive session by that committee, leading to the choice of the three finalists.
The other two finalists who were interviewed at Monday’s public meeting were John Harrington, currently the principal of Littleton High School, and Julie Riley, the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning in the Andover Public Schools.
Labb is in his second year as assistant superintendent in Harvard. Among his many responsibilities here, he has led a district-wide curriculum review and applied for a range of grants for the district.
Before coming to Harvard in 2024, Labb was principal of the Blanchard Memorial School in the Acton-Boxborough district for 10 years. He had previously been an elementary school principal in Southbridge, an assistant principal in Fiskdale, a behavior specialist in Northborough, and an inclusion specialist in Ashland. He briefly relocated to California, where he managed individual programs for special education students at a middle school.
Labb graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and earned a Master of Education from Cambridge College; he is currently working on his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard for six years, from 1992 to 1998, during which time he directed a youth program for high school Junior R.O.T.C. students and won several awards.
After the vote to appoint Labb, the School Committee went into executive session to prepare for contract negotiations with him.
