New Superintendent Takes The Reins At Nauset

ORLEANS – Glenn Brand brings a healthy professional resume into his new role as superintendent of schools for the Nauset Regional School District. But he also brings the perspective of having been a Nauset parent. 

Brand’s daughter, a 2025 Nauset graduate, spent two years at Nauset Regional High School, allowing the new super the opportunity to get a heads up on the district ahead of his new gig.

“The takeaway for me then, even before this opportunity came up, was ‘Boy, this is a place that has great investment in education,’” he said. “These four communities clearly are strong supporters of public education.”

Brand spent six years as superintendent in the town of Wilmington before being hired in January to succeed Brooke Clenchy, who retired as Nauset’s school superintendent in June. His experience also includes three years as superintendent in Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, as well as three years as assistant superintendent of administration and finance for the Sharon Public Schools. He’s also no stranger to the Cape, having served as assistant principal at Mattacheese Middle School in Dennis from 2002 to 2004.

But the challenge for any new school chief is where to begin. As Brand looks ahead to the start of the 2025-2026 school year on Sept. 2, he said he’s spent considerable time in the recent months listening. That includes hearing the thoughts and concerns not just from staff and parents, but also local community groups and organizations.

“What I’ve found in different leadership roles, not just as a superintendent, is that when you tip your hat and say ‘What’s on your mind? What’s great, what’s going well here?’” he said. “I find that people appreciate that, and what I found is that that can really serve as the more immediate road map for where we want to go as an organization.”

Some new faces will be joining Brand in his inaugural year in the central office, including new Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Vicki Saldana and Duane Esteves, who was hired as the district’s new director of finance after the retirement of Giovanna Venditti. Brand said he’ll also lean on the expertise of seasoned Nauset employees, many of whom have served lengthy careers in the district.

“Our learning curve will be steep, it will have to be quick,” he said. “But it’s a good team, and we’ve got the complement of those who have been here a little bit longer.”

At Nauset Regional High School, another school year begins with eyes on the ongoing campus reconstruction. The newly constructed portion of the campus, which includes a new art wing, science building, cafeteria, gymnasium and auditorium, opened up to students and staff last September. 

This year, the finishing touches are being put on the remaining 40 percent of the campus project, which involves renovations to the existing A, B, C and D buildings. Brand said modular classrooms that have been in place since the start of campus construction will continue to be occupied until sometime after the Christmas break while work finishes on the renovations.

“By that point in time, all of the work is expected to be wrapped up,” Brand said. “So there won’t be the pressure, the crunch, to meet a deadline.”

Meanwhile, Brand said it still remains to be seen what will be done with the modular classrooms, which the district owns, once staff and students are back in the school buildings. 

“There’s been efforts to try to sell those,” he said of the modulars. “To this point and time, I don’t think there’s been any interest, so a decision will have to be made about what the disposition of those will be.”

At Nauset Regional Middle School, Peter Cohen enters his third year as school principal. His hiring came after a stretch of significant turnover in the principal’s office, but Brand said he believes the stability that’s been returned to the middle school has been to the benefit for students and staff alike.

“I can’t compare and don’t know what the previous culture was, but the understanding is things are very much moving in the right direction with Peter and his team, and the staff are really rallying around that, which is great to hear,” he said.

“We're fortunate to have our strong administrative team returning for our third year, along with most of our faculty,” Cohen said in an email Monday. “We're also excited to welcome four new teachers and four new paraprofessionals to our school community.”

Cohen said the middle school this year is building upon its advisory program, Nauset Time, in which every adult in the school serves as an advisor to a small group of students. The program gives students access to additional academic help as needed, and this year will also include  “a blend of social-emotional learning lessons, team building, and Fun Friday activities like concerts and performances,” Cohen said.

The 2025-2026 school year will also find district officials wading further into discussions about aging infrastructure, including elementary schools in Orleans and Brewster.

The original portion of Orleans Elementary School dates back to 1956, while the building’s addition was put on in 1988. Discussions are ongoing about whether to renovate the existing school or build a new facility, especially as plans are underway to explore and design a new fire station nearby on Eldredge Park Way. The futures of the Stony Brook and Eddy Elementary Schools in Brewster are also being looked at by town and school officials.

“My job is to support teaching and learning, but it also has to be to try and make sure that our students have good buildings, good schools to learn in and [for] our educators to teach in,” Brand said.

But while those conversations will be ongoing, Brand said in the short term, he’s excited to welcome students and staff back into the district’s elementary schools.

“They really, from my eye, have been really well maintained, and they have a great feel to them,” Brand said of the elementary schools. “There may be some infrastructure or capital needs, and you can’t avoid that. But the thing that’s been really impressive as a new person coming in...is each of them has this unique community feel to them.”

Brand, who lives with his wife in Dennis, said he’s excited by his next chapter, not just professionally, but personally. The opportunity to settle on the Cape after years spent in the Boston area has been a reward in and of itself, he said.

“I love it,” he said. “From a lifestyle standpoint, there’s so many things that are so different and refreshing from the kind of rat race of where we were for a period of time in Greater Boston. Lots of good people, lots of good communities there. But as a wash-ashore, it’s so appealing if it’s the fit for what you’re looking for in life.”