Cohasset School Committee votes 5-0 to award superintendent $10,000 performance bonus

COHASSET — May 6, 2026 — Cohasset School Committee awards Superintendent Dr. Sarah Shannon a $10,000 discretionary bonus and votes 5-0 to opt out of Massachusetts School Choice for FY2027. The committee unanimously awarded Shannon the maximum bonus allowed under Section 8 of her contract after she received Exemplary ratings on all four DESE superintendent evaluation standards — Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture — with Chair Jennifer Lesky citing the FY27 budget crisis, two senior administrative searches, MSBA acceptance for the Middle-High School renovation, and completion of Shannon's doctoral degree as among the year's defining achievements. Secretary Lance C. Dial, who helped negotiate the bonus provision, said it was "designed for exactly this type of year." On School Choice, Shannon told the committee that the state's flat $5,000-per-student reimbursement rate — compared with the district's roughly $22,000 per-pupil expenditure — combined with mandatory blind-lottery admissions made participation "a disservice to the district." The committee also voted 5-0 to approve the 2027 National High School Model United Nations trip to New York City for up to 48 students at an estimated self-funded cost of $950 per student, and recognized outgoing Interim Member Jacob Squatrito, whose appointed term ended with the town election.