Special to the Record
The Chelsea School Committee recently announced that Superintendent Dr. Almudena (Almi) G. Abeyta received a contract extension through January 1, 2031, marking the second extension of her tenure as the district’s educational leader.
Dr. Abeyta joined Chelsea Public Schools in August 2019 and has since guided the district through unprecedented challenges and significant progress. The School Committee unanimously expressed confidence in her vision, leadership, and commitment to Chelsea’s students, families, and staff and its meeting last week.
“Dr. Abeyta has demonstrated unwavering dedication to our community,” said School Committee Chair Ana Hernandez. “Her leadership through the pandemic, her focus on academic growth, and her ability to build strong partnerships make her the right person to continue moving our district forward. Our school system is in a great place under her leadership.”
Highlights from the
New Contract
Key elements of Superintendent Abeyta’s 2026–2031 contract include:
Term of Employment: January 1, 2026 – January 1, 2031.
Annual Salary: $260,000 with annual cost-of-living adjustments aligned to non-bargaining employees.
Professional Expectations:
o Authority to oversee curriculum, staffing decisions, budget administration, and district operations.
o Representation of the district at local civic events and state and national educational conferences.
The extension affirms the School Committee’s continued support for Dr. Abeyta’s strategic direction, including her emphasis on academic excellence, family engagement, educator support, and whole-child initiatives.
“I am deeply honored to continue serving the Chelsea community,” said Dr. Abeyta. “Our students are talented, resilient, and full of potential. I look forward to building on the progress we’ve made together and continuing the work of ensuring we know every student by name, strength and story.”
The new contract was officially approved by vote of the Chelsea School Committee on Dec. 4.
During the meeting, state Senator Sal DiDomenico praised Abeyta for her leadership.
“I am so happy that I was here tonight for the five-year contract extension,” said DiDomenico. “I was hoping it would be a 10-year extension of our superintendent, I call her and I’m not afraid to say it, and I have a lot of superintendents; she is the best superintendent of schools in the entire state of Massachusetts, bar none. Chelsea is very lucky to have her leading the school system.”
Abeyta has dedicated 29 years to advancing teaching and learning in urban education. A proud product of public schools, she was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Before becoming Superintendent of Chelsea Public Schools in January 2020, Dr. Abeyta served as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in several districts, including Somerville Public Schools (2017–2019), Santa Fe Public Schools (2012–2017), and Boston Public Schools (2009–2012). Her leadership and commitment to equity in education have been recognized nationally; in 2015, she received the inaugural Latina Administrator of the Year Award from the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), and in 2021, she was honored with the first-ever La Lucha Award by Latinos for Education. In 2025 she was recognized as a Massachusetts Commonwealth Heroine and an ALX100 honoree, an annual list compiled by Amplify LatinX (ALX), a Massachusetts-based organization, that recognizes and celebrates 100 influential Latino and Latina leaders across various sectors in the state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was also a frequent guest on WBUR’s In This Together radio series, offering insights and guidance to the public.
Dr. Abeyta began her administrative career as principal of the Donald McKay K-8 School in Boston from 2004 to 2008. Prior to that, she began her career in education as a kindergarten teacher.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Journalism from the University of New Mexico, and later completed two master’s degrees as well as a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts.