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Date: 7/6/2022
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – Dr. John Provost is putting the final touches on the 2021-2022 school year as superintendent in Northampton Public Schools and has taken the time to visit a few schools at dismissal to say goodbye to the students and faculty. His eye is now on the next chapter of his career, as superintendent of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD).
Provost has been the superintendent of Northampton Public Schools for eight years and the previous three years were spent as superintendent of North Brookfield Public Schools. Before that, Provost was the director of special education services in the Agawam and Holyoke school districts.
The superintendent was born and raised in Western Massachusetts. “I think it’s a great place to live,” he said, citing outdoor recreation and affordable housing. “Family is very important to me,” Provost said, and it is one of the reasons he has never left the area.
Provost said that the time for goodbyes is over now, and he is eager to start work in Hampden and Wilbraham. “I’m very excited,” to see the strategic plan, Provost said, referring to the nearly finished guiding document that the district will use for the next several years. “I have no preconceived ideas of what should be done,” but he said he is ready to dive in.
HWRSD is the first regional school district that Provost has worked within. “There will definitely be a learning curve,” he said, particularly around understanding the regional agreement and in crafting a budget that works for both the towns and the district. Provost is not concerned however and said the district has a “strong team,” and “I’ve developed a strong network of peers, including superintendents in regional districts and I’ve let them know I’ll be leaning on them.”
Bridging divides
A major byproduct of the regional system has been disagreement and animosity between the towns and the district. Despite the resolution of the lawsuit between Hampden and HWRSD, Provost is inheriting a school community that many see as fractured.
Reminder Publishing asked Provost how he would bridge the divide. “It’s become a real key skill in the past few years,” he said and pointed to the differing views over how the coronavirus pandemic was handled and the increased polarization overall in communities.
The crucial strategy is finding ways to unify diverse groups with differing opinions, he said, adding, “The strongest common interest is the welfare of students. That is, at the end of the day, what all parts of the school community are most interested in.”
He went on, “[Districts] are all unique. The goal is the same – to help students be educated the best we can – but the context is different from district to district.”
Getting to know HWRSD
Provost’s primary goal when he takes the reins of HWRSD will be to meet the faculty, staff, administrators and families and “get the lay of the land,” he said.
There are a few events planned for the start of the 2022-2023 school year that will allow Provost to introduce himself to the community. Additionally, he said that he asked his staff to keep his calendar light on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., so parents and staff can stop in and ask questions or share their concerns.
“My focus in the early part will be forming new relationships,” Provost said. “I really want to get to know the people I’m working for.”