School Department

About the School District

Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts are located in rural Western Massachusetts. Approximately 1,700 students are enrolled in Pre-K to 12th Grade. The district employs approximately 180 certified personnel and a support staff of about 140 (including our Before and After School Programs, Daybreak, Full-Day Preschool, and Frontier Extension Programs). Occupying four new buildings, the Union Number 38 School District (Pre-K to 6th) serves the towns of Conway, Deerfield, Sunderland, and Whately. Each town is governed by a local school committee. The Frontier Regional School District (grades 7th through 12th) completed its building project in September 1998 and is governed by a separate nine-member school committee. The schools enjoy a high level of community support with a high level of expectation for educational excellence. Approximately 85% of the graduates pursue a two-year or four-year post-secondary education.

The school district is located within twenty miles of six colleges and universities including Mt. Holyoke College, Smith College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts as well as Greenfield Community College. The fine arts facilities of these colleges afford excellent opportunities for a variety of educational and cultural experiences.

A portion of the school district is located in Old Deerfield, a National Historic Site. Several colonial homes and taverns have been restored and are open to the public as museums. The district also is home to three private schools in Deerfield of international renown; namely, Deerfield Academy, Bement School, and Eaglebrook School.

Except for the small business area in South Deerfield, the area is primarily rural. The towns connect by interstate highways to Boston, Massachusetts; (two hours by auto), Hartford, Connecticut; (one and a half hours by auto), and Springfield, Massachusetts; (forty-five minutes by auto).

Deerfield Elementary School Committee Members

Chair, Carey Etchells, Term expires 2025 – U-Rep.- U Rep, Cap. Improv Committee

Vice Chair, Erica Jacob, Term expires 2024 – U rep, Policy Review Comm.

Secretary, 

Member, Mary Ramon, Term expires 2024 – F-Rep., Sick Leave Bank

Member, Anne Curtis, Term expires 2025 – Negotiations Rep., U Rep, Sick Leave Bank

Meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 6 pm unless otherwise noted.

Frontier Regional School Committee Members

Chair, Robert Halla, appointed (Whately), term expires 2023 – Negotiations Representative, Capital Improvement Committee & Policy Review Subcommittee

Vice Chair, William Smith, elected (Whately), term expires 2025 – Budget Subcommittee

Secretary, Christopher White, elected (Sunderland), term expires 2025

Member, Olivia Leone, elected (Deerfield), term expires 2024 – Negotiations Representative & Policy Review Subcommittee

Member, Philip Kantor, appointed (Conway), term expires 2023 – Budget Subcommittee, Negotiations Representative, Capital Improvement Subcommittee & Policy Review Subcommittee

Member, Mary Ramon, appointed (Deerfield), term expires 2024 – Budget Subcommittee

Member, Joseph Elias, appointed (Sunderland), term expires 2024

Member, Keith McFarland, elected (Sunderland), term expires 2026 – Budget Subcommittee

Member, Damien Fosnot, elected (Deerfield), term expires 2025 – Capital Improvement Committee

Member, Melissa Novak, elected (Deerfield), term expires 2026 – MARS Representative

Member, Jared Campbell, elected (Conway), term expires 2025

Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm unless otherwise noted.