Newport’s School Committee will begin reviewing applications for an interim school superintendent on Wednesday to replace Colleen Burns Jermain, who announced in October that she will be leaving at the end of the school year.
Rebecca Bolan, the School Committee’s vice chair, said the committee advertised for an interim superintendent on Schoolspring, a primary online job board and recruitment platform for educational positions in Rhode Island. The application period closed last week.
Bolan said the committee chose to seek an interim superintendent with the possibility of a referendum in November, seeking merger between the Middletown and Newport school systems.
“We are setting up to look at the applications that were received starting this Wednesday,” Bolan said. “We are not intending to hire a permanent superintendent at this juncture. We are waiting to see if regionalization gets on the ballot.”
Jermain has been Newport’s superintendent for a dozen years and is only one of several superintendents around the state that are either retiring, moving on or being replaced.
Tom DiPaola, executive director of the Rhode Island Schools Superintendent Association, confirmed the exodus of several superintendents and arrival of new ones and said more is expected.
“The bench is very thin, so I think the changes we have been seeing will continue,” DiPaola said.
According to a report released in late March by the national School Superintendents Association the average tenure of school superintendents is 5.4 years, “roughly double the tenue of three years or less often cited as the standard in past years.” The tenure is similar to pre-pandemic levels.
Here’s what we know:
- The Chariho School Committee voted recently to deny Superintendent Gina Picard an extension on her contract to 2028. That contract expires in June 2027. The vote not to extend the contract was six to four, with two vacancies on the school committee. U.S. News and World Report rates Chariho High School among the 10 best high schools in Rhode Island. While the school committee is non-partisan, it shifted to more conservative in the last election. Picard, a Democrat, is on the North Providence School Committee. There is another election this November.
- In nearby Stonington, Connecticut, Superintendent Mary Anne Butler retired in mid-year, after serving for three and a half years. Timothy Smith, assistant superintendent, was elevated to interim superintendent.
- Just recently, East Providence School Superintendent Sandra Forand announced she was stepping down at the end of the school year, despite being granted a one-year extension.
- In Smithfield Dr. Dawn Bartz resigned amid a hazing controversy.
- In January, Dr. Laurie Andries resigned from Scituate, effective June 30.
- DiPaola said Mike St. Jean, North Smithfield superintendent is retiring at the end of the school year.
“There haven’t been too many retirements,” DiPaola said. “More along the lines of break ups between school committees and superintendents.” Along those lines, DiPaola said:
- Robert Mitchell has been interim superintendent in Barrington since last year, but DiPaola said they are likely to name a permanent superintendent soon.
- A year ago, East Greenwich parted ways with Superintendent Dr. Brian Ricca, when Ricca and the school committee agreed on a separation agreement. Tom Kenworthy, former Portsmouth superintendent, was hired as his replacement.
- Pawtucket recently named Randy Buck superintendent, replacing Patricia Royal, who resigned last summer after going on leave for three months. In her letter of resignation, she said “it is painfully clear that I am no longer welcome back.”
Additionally, DiPaola said there are “a couple of others” that may be leaving, but he’s been asked “not to name (them) at this time.”
