Norfolk School Committee Re-Elects Sheldon Chair, Adds Eighth Kindergarten Section

NORFOLK -- May 19, 2026, Norfolk School Committee reorganizes for new year, adds kindergarten section and approves special ed director contract. The committee unanimously re-elected Lisa Sheldon as chair at the May 19 meeting after brief discussion about rotating the role, with Madora Champagne elected vice chair and Peter Schwalbe appointed as secretary, King Philip Regional School Committee representative, and legislative liaison. Superintendent Ingrid Allard recommended two budget-neutral staffing adjustments: adding an eighth kindergarten section, enrollment has reached 145 against a 135 projection with a 147-student policy ceiling, and converting the special education team chair from 0.7 to a full 1.0 FTE, with both moves offset by a $100,000 math curriculum payment absorbed in the current year and by not backfilling a 0.3 BCBA position. The committee also approved a 260-day, $135,000 contract for newly appointed special education director Karen Muirhead and voted to make June 16 a half-day early release, citing World Cup traffic concerns endorsed by public safety officials across all five King Philip-area communities.