Braintree Schools Name Jim Lee Interim Superintendent

BRAINTREE, MA — The Braintree School Committee last week named Assistant Superintendent Jim Lee as the interim superintendent for the 2021-22 school year.

Lee will replace Superintendent Frank Hackett, who will leave the district at end of the school year to become the superintendent in Winchester. Lee will take the helm of Braintree Public Schools, beginning July 1.

School officials said they chose Lee because of his experience in the school district. He was named principal of Braintree High School in 2012 and later became the assistant superintendent.

"The transition is seamless, the continuity is there," Committee chair Thomas Devin said.

Following the appointment, Lee thanked the committee for its confidence in him to lead the district. Lee said many challenges lie ahead, but there are "a lot of great people working on those challenges."

Hackett has served as Braintree's superintendent since 2015. While serving in Braintree, Hackett led the charge in recommending Grade 5 students be moved to classrooms in the middle schools to free up space in the elementary schools. The plan was to add an addition to East Middle School and build a new South Middle School.

Grade 5 students are expected to move to East Middle School next school year when construction is complete. As for the South Middle School, the project was granted $31 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority and was approved by residents with a debt exclusion vote.

Mayor Charles Kokoros congratulated Hackett after he accepted the Winchester job and said he will miss working with him.

"I consider Frank to be a friend and have enjoyed working with him over the last year," Kokoros said. "He has left a lasting mark on our school system and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of working with him over the years. Dr. Hackett's dedication to education will certainly continue in Winchester and their teachers, staff and youth are lucky to have him."

Prior to coming to Braintree, Hackett was the superintendent in Pembroke for eight years and also spent 20 years as a principal and office administrator in Maine.