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Reported by us | Fall River

Who runs South Coast schools this year, with new leaders in Fall River and at Bristol-Plymouth

Fall River has an interim superintendent and Bristol-Plymouth a new superintendent-director, both chosen by their school committees on April 1.

By the SC360 Schools Desk | Published Oct. 19, 2026 | Last verified Oct. 19, 2026, 7:35 p.m. ET

FALL RIVER Two school systems that serve South Coast students began the 2026-27 year under leaders their school committees chose on April 1. Fall River Public Schools is led by an interim superintendent, and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School is in its first year under a superintendent-director the School Committee picked from its own staff.

Most of the districts serving the 15 towns name their superintendent on their own websites. The list that follows gives the leaders we could confirm from district or town records, with the South Coast towns each regional school serves in parentheses.

Fall River

The Fall River School Committee appointed Kathleen Smith interim superintendent at its regular meeting on April 1, and she was to start May 1, the district announced April 2. The district's Superintendent's Corner now lists her as interim superintendent of schools, and district news posts in July and September carry her name with that title. The committee also named Elizabeth Legault interim deputy superintendent, a newly created position overseeing human resources, the district said the same day.

Bristol-Plymouth

Bristol-Plymouth's School Committee voted 8-0 on April 1 to select Andrew Rebello, then the assistant superintendent, as superintendent "subject to contract negotiations," after Chair Estele C. Borges said Alexandre Magalhaes was leaving in July, according to the meeting's minutes. Two members urged a nationwide search but said they would back Rebello if the committee did not search, and the chair reminded members that their job is to set policy and hire the superintendent, the minutes say. The district's offices page now lists Rebello as superintendent-director, and he updated the committee in September on the opening of the school's new building, according to the Sept. 2 minutes. The Taunton school serves Berkley, Dighton, Freetown and Rehoboth among its eight member towns.

Second years and reviews

In Westport, Fran Roy's welcome letter for 2026-27 greets families "as your Superintendent for a second year." In Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester, the Old Rochester Regional School District and Superintendency Union 55 said in July that the Joint School Committee rated Superintendent Michael S. Nelson exemplary in his June evaluation, at the end of the second year of his 2024-26 goals.

Who leads each district

We could not confirm a current superintendent on the websites of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School or Bristol County Agricultural High School on Monday, so they are not listed. Bristol Aggie's superintendent page still carries a spring 2025 letter signed by Derek Costa, but nothing on the site dates his name to this school year. Charter schools are not included here.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.

How we verified this

Every name and title comes from the district's own website, minutes or newsletter, or for Freetown-Lakeville from the Town of Freetown's page for the district, all listed below. We read them on Oct. 19. The Fall River dates come from the district's April 2 announcements, and the Bristol-Plymouth vote from the committee's April 1 minutes; we counted the roll call ourselves and checked each date and weekday against a calendar. Titles follow AP style, without Dr. Not heard: no one was contacted. Three regional schools did not show a current superintendent on their sites on Oct. 19 and are left out until we confirm.

Corrections

No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.

Sources (23)

  1. Fall River Public Schools news items announcing Kathleen Smith as interim superintendent and Elizabeth Legault as interim deputy superintendent, both April 2, 2026District news items on the home page, including July 13 and Sept. 17, 2026, posts naming Smith as interim superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  2. Fall River School Committee, Diligent portalThe committee page where meetings, agendas and packets post. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  3. Superintendent's Corner, Fall River Public SchoolsLists Kathleen Smith, Interim Superintendent of Schools. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  4. Bristol-Plymouth School Committee minutes, April 1, 2026The 8-0 vote and the search discussion. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  5. District Offices, Bristol-PlymouthAndrew Rebello, Superintendent-Director. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  6. Bristol-Plymouth School Committee minutes, Sept. 2, 2026Superintendent report item "New School Opening and Building Update." Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  7. Bristol-Plymouth School Committee agenda, Oct. 7, 2026Regular meeting Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.; letterhead lists the eight member towns: Berkley, Bridgewater, Dighton, Freetown, Middleborough, Raynham, Rehoboth, Taunton. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  8. Superintendent, Westport Community SchoolsFran Roy's 2026-27 welcome letter. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  9. Superintendent Nelson Rated Exemplary by Joint School Committee (July 1, 2026)Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  10. ORR grants announcement (Oct. 7, 2026)Names "Superintendent Michael S. Nelson." Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  11. Superintendent's Office, Acushnet Public SchoolsPaula J. Bailey, Ed.D., Superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  12. Dartmouth Public SchoolsPage footer: June Saba Maguire, Superintendent of Schools. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  13. Our Administration, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School DistrictBill Runey, Superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  14. Superintendent's Office, Fairhaven Public SchoolsTara Kohler, Superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  15. Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District, Town of FreetownStaff: Barbara Starkie, Superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  16. Superintendent Welcome, New Bedford Public SchoolsAndrew O'Leary, Superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  17. Superintendent, Somerset Public Schools and Somerset Berkley RegionalLetter signed Jeffrey Schoonover, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  18. Swansea Public SchoolsScott C. Holcomb, Superintendent of Schools. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  19. Wareham Public Schools superintendent newsletter, Oct. 7, 2026Signed Amy Hartley-Matteson; names her as superintendent. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  20. Superintendent's Office, Diman RegionalSuperintendent-Director Brian Bentley. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  21. Diman Regional Vocational Technical High SchoolCommunities Served: Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  22. Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical SchoolMessage from the superintendent, Roger Forget; enrollment open to students in Bourne, Falmouth, Marion, Sandwich and Wareham. Read Oct. 19, 2026.
  23. From the Superintendent, Bristol County Agricultural High SchoolSpring 2025 admissions letter signed Derek Costa, Superintendent | Director; no current-year listing. Read Oct. 19, 2026.

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