Kimo Carter Opens His Holliston Tenure With a Listening Tour

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Ask a new superintendent what single need will define his first year, and the usual answer is a list. In a mid-July written response, two weeks into the job, Kimo Carter answered in two sentences: "Not yet. There may be as I learn more."

That restraint was deliberate. Carter became superintendent of Holliston^↗ Public Schools on July 1. The district's administration directory lists him in the role, and he described his opening months as a period for hearing the district before prescribing for it.

"My immediate priority is to listen and learn," Carter said in a written response to The MAEdTribune. "Over the summer and into the fall, I will launch a listening tour to meet with staff, families, students, and community leaders. I want to hear firsthand what everyone loves about Holliston, the challenges they face, and greatest opportunities for growth. Our ultimate goal is to ensure every child in Holliston feels safe, valued, and challenged to reach their full potential. We can only achieve this through a transparent partnership with our exceptional staff and families."

The latest available state enrollment file places the MetroWest district at 2,651 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 2,910 in 2019-20. That count marked a fourth consecutive annual decline, though the latest change was modest: 38 fewer students than in 2024-25. Measured from 2014-15, Holliston was down 6.1 percent, nearly the same as the 5.8 percent decline statewide. The grade distribution adds another planning signal: 177 kindergartners and 206 seniors, while the district's largest class, 243 fourth graders, sat in the middle of the elementary grades.

One line in the data moved in the other direction. Holliston counted 566 students receiving special education services in 2025-26, 97 more than in 2021-22, even as total enrollment fell. The share reached 21.4 percent, up from 16.7 percent in 2021-22 and close to the statewide rate of 21.3 percent. The enrollment files do not explain whether student needs, identification practices, placements, or other service patterns drove the increase. They do show that Carter inherited a different service mix from the one Holliston had four school years earlier.

Carter's career has centered on teaching and learning. The district's appointment announcement says he came from Weston Public Schools, where he served as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning and oversaw curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Earlier roles included principal of Watertown Middle School, assistant principal, and middle school social studies teacher. He holds a doctorate in educational administration from Boston College, a master's degree from Harvard University, and a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University.

The School Committee chose Carter in February after a comprehensive search that included community surveys, forums, and finalist interviews, according to the same official search record.

Asked what families and staff should know about how he leads, Carter put a name on it.

"I want people to associate my leadership with transparency, partnership, and student-centricity," he said. "I am committed to open communication, especially when navigating difficult dynamics or complex problems and dilemmas. We need to move forward together. I am here to build a foundation where we can disagree professionally and still drive the district toward student excellence and belonging. My North Star remains the holistic experience of our students and how we prepare them to meet the challenges of an ever-changing global society."

Carter's listening approach has an immediate public setting. The newly formed Holliston School Building Committee held its first meeting in late July as the town began work in the Massachusetts School Building Authority process for Holliston High School. Carter serves as a non-voting member. In a district letter, he and the committee's leaders described that early stage as listening and learning rather than making decisions.

The instructional portfolio also gives families choices that require coordination across schools. Holliston offers traditional and French immersion pathways alongside a Montessori program. Those programs make Carter's emphasis on communication more than a general leadership preference: families need clear information about how distinct models fit within one district.

"I am honored and excited to join the Holliston community," Carter said. "From my very first conversations with the School Committee, staff, and residents, it became abundantly clear that Holliston is a district that fiercely values its students, supports its educators, and prides itself on a deep-rooted sense of community. Coming into a district with such a strong foundation is an incredible privilege."

Carter said in July that his listening tour would continue into the fall. Its early work overlaps with the building committee's own listening phase, giving him a public test of the transparency and professional disagreement he said he wants his leadership to be known for.

Enrollment, grade-level, and special education figures come from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data files covering the 2014-15 through 2025-26 school years. Quotes are from Kimo Carter's written responses to The MAEdTribune. Appointment, career, building-committee, and program details are attributed to the linked district sources.

Detailed code that reproduces the analysis and figures in this article is available exclusively to EdTribune subscribers.

Holliston - EdTribune MA - Massachusetts Education Data

Kimo Carter Opens His Holliston Tenure With a Listening Tour