Shrewsbury School Committee Unanimously Chooses Principal Tiffany Ostrander as Next Superintendent

SHREWSBURY — March 18, 2026 — Shrewsbury School Committee unanimously selects Calvin Coolidge Elementary principal Tiffany Ostrander as the district's next superintendent. The committee voted 5-0 Wednesday night at a special meeting to enter into contract negotiations with Ostrander, who will succeed Dr. Joseph Sawyer after his 17-year tenure. The decision followed a nationwide search that drew 30 applicants and produced four finalists — Ostrander, Shrewsbury High School principal Todd Bidzidlow, SAU 47 superintendent Reuben Duncan of New Hampshire, and Wilmington interim superintendent Dr. David Thompson. All five members cited Ostrander's data-driven approach and student-centered leadership in their deliberations, with member Prabhu Belagapudi calling her "the transformational leader" the district needs. At least two members acknowledged publicly that Ostrander carries limited school budgeting experience and has not held middle or high school leadership roles — challenges they said she would need to address through mentorship and coursework as she takes on a district facing a Proposition 2 1/2 override campaign and a major Shrewsbury High School expansion project in the MSBA pipeline.