Kimo Carter had been looking for a superintendent seat that was the right fit. The former Assistant Superintendent of Weston, who grew up in Hawaii and whose first name means “James” in Hawaiian, feels thrilled to have found in Holliston a “close knit and connected,” district that is “really highly supportive of schools.”

“My first month has been tremendous,” said Carter, who was looking forward to teachers coming back at Local Town Pages’ deadline. “I’m really grateful for the warm welcomes I’ve been receiving here,” he added, noting the only downside is his commute from Belmont.

Carter was drawn to a small-town environment such as Holliston in part for the sense of security and responsivity to needs it can offer students. “(Students) feel safe, they feel known, they feel belonged in this school system. The relationship between educators and students is a strength point we can leverage. If kids feel happy, safe, valued and known in schools, you can bring your whole self to your learning,” he noted, adding, “No matter how good a teacher I put in front of students, or how great the curriculum is, if the student is not thinking about learning and only thinking about why they’re upset, they’re not going to learn. Holliston has come a long way and done some really intentional work, and I think that’s a launching pad (on which) we can enhance and build.”

Carter aims to “learn first. Hit the ground learning, instead of hit the ground running, along with a brand new administrative team,” he said. Joining the Holliston team this year is Howard Barber, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operation, Karen Bourn, Director of Teaching and Learning, and coming back in a new position, Jessica Beattie as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services.

The four new members of the team, Carter explained, are going to embark on a collaborative entry plan, a listening tour, which includes learning “about the strengths of the district, the traditions of the community, to get to know the stakeholders and the people who are invested in the schools, the huge tapestry of interests that make these schools run. It gives us an opportunity to see classrooms in action, see how school climates feel. We’re listening to people, seeing what’s happening and also analyzing data.” That data might include district growth, how many students participate in athletics or music, who students are, what financials look like and opportunities for growth, he explained. “All of that information needs to be synthesized before we can collectively chart the course together,” said Carter.

Information gathered from Carter’s summertime pre-entry work, coupled with the team entry plan in late summer and this fall, will equip Carter to address the first School Committee meeting in January. “That becomes the basis of our new strategic plan,” he said. Currently, Holliston Public Schools are in year five of a 5-year strategic plan.

The new strategic process will also include community forums and surveys, said Carter.

“This is a really exciting time for Holliston,” said the superintendent, referring to the potential new high school. He has experience working with the MSBA in major repairs while he was Principal of Watertown Middle School as well as doing a lot of the MSBA pre-work for a new high school when he was Assistant Superintendent in Weston. “We need to know the direction we’re going, because that’s going to form the kind of high school we have,” said Carter, “There’s lots of hope and looking toward the future, but it’s really important to be deliberate and thoughtful as we move forward. We have one chance to move in the right way and doing it all together as a community is the right process.” 

Carter, who attended Wesleyan University as an undergraduate majoring in government, didn’t realize he wanted to teach until he landed a job as an after-school aide at the Perkins School. Carter would go on to earn his MAT at Boston College, eventually teaching 7th grade Social Studies in Billerica for seven years before heading to Harvard for his Masters in Administration. He’d go on to become Assistant Principal of North Middlesex Regional School District before heading to Watertown and Weston.

On a personal note, Carter is the married father of two grown sons who enjoys playing trombone in the Belmont Community Band. A sports fan, he cycles for fitness, loves to read and cook, and travels whenever he has the opportunity.