Whether new to the profession, new to the school district or taking on a new role, educators in Hopkinton tend to stay.

Hopkinton ranks second in Middlesex County among public pre-K to Grade 12 schools and seventh in the state when it comes to retention rate.

On Thursday, the School Committee heard a presentation about the district’s Induction and Mentoring Program from Jeffrey LaBroad, assistant superintendent and chief operating officer.

LaBroad said the program provides a “safety net, a sense of belonging and an entry point” into the school community.

At a recent group orientation, the district welcomed 20 new educators. Thirteen participants were new hires, and seven joined in the middle of last year.

The Induction and Mentoring Program is state mandated and designed to increase retention, LaBroad said. By offering it, he said, HPS has found that educators do better and stay longer.

According to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data from the spring of 2026, the state average retention rate is 87%, while Hopkinton is at 94%.

The district also had 100% of educators who started last year continue this school year, LaBroad noted.

Fifty percent of the district’s educators have stayed more than 10 years, while 25% have worked for more than 18 years.

In addition to promoting educators’ well-being, other benefits of the program include helping participants understand the culture of the school and establishing a learning culture that is “self-reflective, data driven and collaborative,” LaBroad noted in his presentation.

Providing opportunities for teacher leadership — veterans passing on what they know to newcomers — is another important component, he said.

Matching district newcomers with mentors in “customized and intentional pairings” is a different approach for Hopkinton, as many other districts have mentor leaders. LaBroad said he works with principals to decide “who will best leverage what the person coming in needs.”

A teacher new to the profession in a particular grade will have different needs than a veteran teacher from a different district, for example.

LaBroad said there is a dual benefit to the program’s mentorship component, which is a yearlong partnership.

“The coaches/mentors get a lot out of this process, too,” he said. “We leverage their leadership and expertise, and they tell us over and over again that they get stronger being mentors.”

The process involves weekly one-to-one meetings and ongoing coaching and collaboration.

The program also features monthly group workshops, peer observations and a series of evaluations.

LaBroad said administrators gain a lot of feedback, with participants feeling the program is “purposeful, supportive, and [they] appreciate its structure.”

The relationships new educators develop with their colleagues and mentors is key, LaBroad noted. “Their questions are comfortably asked and reasonably answered.”

LaBroad attributed the success of the program to the entire district community, saying when people feel welcomed, they do a better job.

Superintendent Evan Bishop gave credit to LaBroad, noting the assistant superintendent leads the program and does a lot of work behind the scenes.

Although the program is mandated, Bishop said, “I find it hard to believe many do it better than we do.”

School Committee member Nancy Cavanaugh asked if administrators conduct exit interviews when employees leave the district.

Bishop replied that is a process Hopkinton administrators are working to formalize.