Superintendent on school agenda tonight

John Howell
Posted 7/14/15

While the School Committee has not outlined how it will go about filling the position of superintendent – and that could come as soon as tonight’s meeting at Toll Gate – Mayor Scott Avedisian …

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Superintendent on school agenda tonight

Posted

While the School Committee has not outlined how it will go about filling the position of superintendent – and that could come as soon as tonight’s meeting at Toll Gate – Mayor Scott Avedisian is confident committee leadership is “very serious about moving forward.”

Avedisian and City Council President Donna Travis met yesterday with School Committee Chair Jennifer Ahearn and Vice Chair Eugene Nadeau.

Avedisian said he was anxious to learn what the committee intends to do as Superintendent Richard D’Agosino’s retirement became effective on Monday and with the withdrawal of Dr. Anthony Pope, as a candidate for the post, there are no candidates for the job.

But the meeting was not limited to a discussion of the department’s top job.

The mayor said he was also looking for a progress report on school consolidation, the status of balancing the school budget and implementation of all-day-kindergarten that will be become a requirement by state law a year from this fall.

Asked how he would prioritize the department’s multiple issues, Avedisian said he thought naming of an interim superintendent and initiating a search for a new superintendent would be first on the list.

Next, he thought, developing short and long-range consolidation plans is critical.

In May the committee voted to close Aldrich and Gorton Junior High Schools and Veterans High School at the completion of the academic year starting this fall. Vets would reopen as a middle school, thereby giving the city two middle schools – Winman and Vets (assuming it would have the same name) and two high schools, Toll Gate and Pilgrim.

Since the vote, committee member Bethany Furtado has conducted five school administrator meetings to plan for the transition at the secondary level, Avedisian said.

As Furtado and her group get into the planning phases, Avedisian said he has offered city planner and acting chief of staff William DePasquale, as well as Mark Carruolo, to work with them. Former city planner, now working in West Warwick, Carruolo had worked closely with schools in defining population trends and developing enrollment projections.

Carruolo is a Warwick resident.

“We will assist in any way we can,” Avedisian said of the city.

Avedisian said he believes it is important that both the school and city administration get together and examine issues facing the schools and the city.

As he has said in the past, Avedisian reiterated his position that savings generated through school consolidation should go to the department and not be returned to the city. Such action would also require City Council approval.

Avedisian didn’t offer a timeline for a new superintendent.

“If it takes three months, that’s OK. If it takes six months, that’s OK.”

His point is that the School Committee needs a plan.

“Confidence in the system is needed,” he said. He said for that to happen there needs to be progress and the process needs to be open.

Neither Ahearn nor Nadeau and Travis could be reached for comment on this story.

Tonight’s meeting starts at 7 p.m.

The agenda also includes a facility planning update from Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA), as they continue to work with the district on implementing consolidation; a status report on the $25 million bond projects; and recommendation and adoption of a revised fiscal year 2016 budget, among other items.

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