Shaker Lane Building Project Update
Get to Know Your School Committee
A school committee must be responsive to its constituencies in governance, sensitive to the diverse needs of all learners, an advocate for students and learning before the people of the community and, as such, a vigorous ambassador for public education before all citizens.
Learn more: Roles & Responsibilities for School Committees and Superintendents by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (via MASC.org).
Justin McCarthy, Chair (Term Expires 2027)
Justin McCarthy serves as Chair of the Littleton School Committee and has been a dedicated member for six years. A resident of Littleton for 15 years, Justin and his wife, Alison, are proud parents of three children enrolled in Littleton Public Schools.
Throughout his tenure, Justin has played a leadership role on the Budget Subcommittee and in contract negotiations with the Littleton Educators Association. He is committed to strong fiscal stewardship, collaborative relationships, and high-quality educational outcomes. Justin values serving as an advocate for families and approaches each decision with students’ best interests at the forefront. He understands the responsibility of public service and remains committed to making thoughtful, and at times difficult, decisions that strengthen the district for the long term.
Outside of his public service, he enjoys golfing, coaching youth basketball, and supporting his children from the sidelines at their games.
Binal Patel, Vice Chair (Term Expires 2026)
Binal is an early educator and passionate advocate of young children and their right to high-quality education. She spent over 20 years in the field of education, as an early childhood educator with the youngest learners from infants to preschoolers, and then as a Director of a childcare program. Most recently, Binal is now the Executive Director for a MA based non-profit that focuses on access to high-quality early education. Binal lives in Littleton with her husband and two daughters. She loves watching them grow up, play soccer, and explore the world. She is extremely grateful to be a part of the Littleton community and to serve on the School Committee to support the wonderful schools.
Elaine Santelmann, Clerk (Term Expires 2026)
Elaine has had a career in education, first as a classroom teacher and then as the K-5 Science and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator in Westford Public Schools. More recently she was the K-12 Science and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator for Lowell Public Schools. In her current role as an educational consultant, she is involved with several initiatives with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). She is a writer and professional development provider for DESE's Investigating History curriculum. She also serves as a consultant on a DESE team working to improve the accessibility of science instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Elaine is committed to strong educational leadership on the school committee through participation in the Superintendent Evaluation Subcommittee and the Negotiations Subcommittee.
Elaine's four children attended Littleton Public Schools for grades K-12, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the school committee to give back to the community.
Email Elaine Santelmann
Jeanine Wood (Term Expires 2027)
Jeanine Wood moved to Littleton with her family in 1998. Her 2 daughters attended Shake Lane, Russell Street and the Parker Charter schools.
Jeanine holds an MBA from Boston University and worked as a Proposal Manager at various organizations for much of her career. She is passionate about student centric educational methodologies that make learning available across all learning styles.
Sean Aherne (Term Expires 2028)
Sean Aherne joined the School Committee after learning about the Shaker Lane Project. Sean and his wife, Elizabeth, recently welcomed their first child and they look forward to her attending the new Shaker Lane Elementary School. Current and future students are at the core of Sean’s decision making.
Sean has played a leadership role in Littleton’s current initiatives. He chaired the Shaker Lane Subcommittee responsible for selecting the Construction Manager at Risk. Sean also serves on the Shaker Lane Building Committee’s Finance Working Group. He also co-leads the search for the district’s next superintendent. Recognizing the significance of these efforts, Sean launched the Paws on Littleton Public Schools podcast through LCTV to keep residents informed and created the Sean for Littleton Substack to provide timely School Committee meeting recaps. In addition to establishing the new Communication Subcommittee, he serves on the Safety and Security Subcommittee and the Permanent Municipal Building Committee.