Jonathan Libby was appointed Student Services Director by the Belmont School Committee on March 24 after serving as the interim director since November.
Prior to becoming the interim director, Libby was the assistant director of Student Services. He joined the district in 2019.
“Throughout the search process, it was clear Jonathan brings deep knowledge of Belmont’s schools, along with established working relationships across the district that position him well in this role,” said School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty. “This position is central to the district’s current focus, which the committee has prioritized through our budget and strategic planning, on strengthening in-district programming and providing more coordinated support for students. We are confident that Jonathan will build on this foundation by actively engaging with students, families, and staff and listening closely to their experiences.”
Libby was one of two finalists for the position.
In addition to his roles in Belmont, Libby has served as the special education team chair for Woburn Public Schools and the elementary special education coordinator for Amesbury Public Schools. He began his career as a school psychologist.
“It’s been a very busy seven years, and I feel like we’ve got a lot done and there’s a lot of work ahead,” Libby said.
Libby holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University and a master’s in applied educational psychology and a certificate of advanced graduate studies from Northeastern University.
He credits his passion for special education to his mother — a career reading specialist — and his older brother, who was diagnosed with a learning disability when they were children.
“As his younger brother, I didn’t really understand what that meant. I just knew he was struggling, and they were trying to support him, and that desire to understand him helped me want to gain more expertise as I grew older,” he said.
During his time in Belmont, Libby is credited with expanding the district’s in-house special education programming, something he said will continue to be a priority during his three-year appointment. Libby played a role in the creation of the Harbor Program at Belmont High School (BHS) — which is designed to support high school students with social, emotional, and mental health developmental needs — and the Language-Based Learning Disabilities Program at the Chenery Upper Elementary School (CUE).
According to Libby, about 19% of Belmont’s special education students are currently in out-of-district placements, meaning their needs could not be met in the Belmont school system.
“I want more of our kids to be able to be met within the public school system” Libby said. “I think it’s profoundly beneficial to students to be with their friends, with their peers, with their neighbors, and in order to do that, we have to be able to offer more services, more programming for our students.”
He added that programs such as those at BHS and CUE need support from the district, School Committee, and the community..
Part of Libby’s philosophy in approaching students’ needs and district programming revolves around constantly looking at existing data. To truly understand what Belmont needs, Libby said “it’s an ongoing cycle” of asking questions.
And he’s not the only one looking at what is best for students.
“This, in my mind, is a very exciting time to be in Belmont as we’re growing our capacity to support students,” he said. “One of the things I really appreciate about Belmont is the advocacy I get from the community, from the parents, [and] from the staff, really saying these are what students need.”
