Kim Bettencourt

Kimberli Bettencourt currently serves as the Director of Student Services for Acushnet Public Schools for the past 5 years. Previously, she has served as the Executive Director of Special Education and Student Services for New Bedford Public Schools for 5 years, and the Special Education Supervisor at the elementary level and Special Education Facilitator at NBPS for 3 years prior. In addition, she was Day School Director at the Schwartz Center for Children in Dartmouth for two decades as well as the Managing Director at the Crystal Springs School in Assonet for 4 years. 

Ms. Bettencourt was also the Chairperson for the City of New Bedford Commission for Citizens with Disabilities as well as the New Bedford Coastline Elderly Foster Grandparent Advisory Council for over 10 years. She has been a member of both committees for over 16 years and is also a member of the New Bedford Opioid Prevention Task Force.  

Ms. Bettencourt is the immediate past Chairperson of the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School’s School Committee on which she is entering her 4th year.  She has previously served as a special education consultant for the New Bedford Community Partnerships for Children and a New Bedford Community Based Instructor through Wheelock College, one of her three alma maters. 

Ms. Bettencourt obtained a Bachelor of Education from Westfield State College in 1988 with a major in Severe Special Education and a minor in Psychology. From there, she attended Wheelock College completing her Child Care Administration certification in 1995 with a 4.0 grade point average. She earned her Master of Science in Education from Boston College in 2003 with a concentration in Special Education, maintaining her 4.0 GPA. She holds Massachusetts certifications in intensive special education, special education administration, superintendent and assistant superintendent, and a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement.