Page 43 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

EDUCATION >>
BY GEORGE O’BRIEN
[email protected]
As he talked about the Holyoke
Public Schools’ emergence from a
decade of receivership last month,
Anthony Soto said that accom-
plishment results from several
factors, but the overriding dynamic has been
leadership.
That applies to the receiver’s office, the
commissioner of Massachusetts Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education
(ESE), Holyoke’s School Committee, the may-
or’s office, and within the ranks of the city’s
teachers, principals, and other administrators,
said Soto, who has been the receiver for the
past five years and is now interim superinten-
dent in Holyoke, adding quickly that leadership
will ultimately determine how this district per-
forms moving forward.
And on that front, there are some ques-
tion marks, he said, noting everything from
the upcoming election this fall, at which every
seat on the School Committee will be con-
tested, to the superintendent’s office (a nation-
wide search will soon commence, and Soto
declined comment on whether he will be a
candidate) to the ongoing challenge of retain-
ing teachers and principals everywhere, but
especially in Holyoke.
Anthony Soto, interim
school superintendent and
former receiver in Holyoke.
“This had never been done before;
there was no blueprint for this,
and I believe that Holyoke has
Taking Back
perhaps created a blueprint.”
Indeed, when asked if he was worried
about backsliding from the systemic changes
and resulting progress that enabled Holyoke to
emerge from receivership, Soto said, “not with
the leaders we have in place.”
He added, “I would worry if we suddenly
had seven principals leave and three or four
Control
district leaders leave — then I would be very
concerned. I’m confident with the School Com-
mittee that we have, but the unknown is what
worries me.”
While there are questions about the future
and what will happen with this school district,
Leadership, Commitment
Mark Holyoke Schools’
Emergence from Receivership
Soto and Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia cer-
tainly wanted to take a moment and reflect on
Holyoke’s ability to emerge from receivership
— something the two other districts placed in
that same state (Lawrence and Southbridge)
have yet to do.
“This had never been done before; there
was no blueprint for this, and I believe that
Holyoke has perhaps created a blueprint,” said
Garcia, who made emergence from receiver-
ship a campaign pledge when he first ran for
the office more than three years ago. “This is a
big win for Holyoke; we’ve proven to the Com-
monwealth of Massachusetts that we’re capa-
ble of self-managing our public schools.”
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