LIFE in the classroom: Lucas settles in as new school superintendent
by Mark Jahne
Editor
Michael Lucas is settling in quickly as the new superintendent of the Cromwell Public Schools.
He doesn’t have much of a choice. His first day on the job was July 27, just four weeks before the onset of the 2026-2027 academic year. A 58-year-old veteran educator, he said he is delighted to be here and looks forward to making a good district even better.
“I grew up in Worcester, Mass. Went to public schools my whole life. I was treasurer of my graduating class and varsity tennis captain,” Lucas said.
He graduated from Fordham College in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree and earned a masters of arts in teaching history from Boston College.
Lucas comes to town from the Oxford Public Schools in Massachusetts. He spent the past five years as the district’s superintendent. Prior to that he was the principal of Tantasqua Regional Senior High School in Fiskdale, Mass., for 12 years.
“I had a great run,” he said.
From 1992-2009 he taught social studies in grades 7-12 at Tantasqua Regional Junior & Senior High Schools. An avid tennis player, Lucas was the head coach of men’s and women’s tennis from 1999-2022 at the College of the Holy Cross. He also loves to play squash.
His accomplishments at Tantasqua included strengthening family and community engagement, increasing AP course offerings, launching career pathway programs, designing and implementing a hybrid learning model during the COVID-19 pandemic and more.
He and his wife Lydia recently moved from Masschusetts to Tolland to split the difference between his commute to work and staying within a reasonable of their adult children.
“We have five kids ranging from 21 to 32, four boys and a girl,” he said.
Lucas spent all 34 years as a professional educator in Massachusetts before deciding to cross the state line for his new job. It was not an extensive job search; Cromwell is the only district to which he applied.
“It’s an exciting opportunity. Cromwell has a great reputation for educating all students,” he said. “I have received an overwhelming and warm welcome from all parts of the community.”
He added that the focus of the Board of Education is on giving every child the best education possible and that fits perfectly with his own philosophy.
“There are a lot of outstanding educators here. As superintendent, it’s my job to support them,” he added. “I’m a huge believer in collaboration and teamwork.”
Lucas has already toured all four schools and met the staff. He is fully aware of the district’s stellar reputation in interscholastic sports and its motto “home of the champions.”
He’s not planning to make any changes until he sees how the schools operate when they are full of students. He called this a strong district with solid school improvement plans in place.
“My job is to listen intently to all stakeholders in the community,” he said.
He added that he plans to be visible in the community and will attend PTO meetings when possible.
“Michael Lucas demonstrated throughout the process that he is a collaborative, student-focused leader who values strong relationships and community engagement,” board Chairperson Alyssa Goduti said. “We are confident that his experience, integrity and vision will serve the Cromwell Public Schools exceptionally well as we continue building on the district’s many strengths.
“We had a pretty intense and really amazing search process. We had tremendous interest in our town” from numerous candidates, she added. “We are so impressed with his 28 years of experience in education. He’s going to be great for our town.”
Goduti said what impressed board members the most was how he focuses on doing what is best for students. CL