Mike Cummings Resigns As Fairfield Superintendent

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield’s superintendent is leaving the district, he announced this week.

Superintendent Mike Cummings notified the Board of Education of his resignation Wednesday, and told staff the news Thursday. He will begin the transition to retirement this summer, and has taken the part-time position of superintendent of Pomfret Community School in Pomfret. His last day in Fairfield will be June 30.

“The past seven years in Fairfield have been the most challenging and rewarding of all of my 36 years in education,” he said in a message to staff, adding that in retirement he intends to pursue other interests and spend more time with family.

Cummings was named Fairfield superintendent in 2019 to replace outgoing superintendent Toni Jones. His time leading the district was shaped in part by external forces, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the discovery of contaminants at some school facilities, uncovered in the wake of a criminal investigation that resulted in charges against seven town contractors and employees.

"When we talk about first responders to the pandemic, I think of Mike," Board of Education Chairwoman Christine Vitale said in an email to Patch, calling Cummings' departure a "tremendous loss" for the town.

Vitale praised Cummings for swiftly transitioning Fairfield schools to remote learning in spring 2020, focusing on keeping schools open in the 2020-21 school year, rolling out the district's remote learning academy, and prioritizing both in-person learning and the end of the mask mandate.

"While he did not volunteer to be superintendent during a pandemic, he did not back away from this very difficult and often thankless job; instead he steadfastly lead with humor, compassion and grace — always focused on the safety and well-being of our students and staff," Vitale said in the email. "I thank him for his service to our community and wish him all the best as he begins his next chapter. He will be missed!"

Cummings had a long career in the Milford school system, before coming to Fairfield in 2015 as director of elementary education and later chief academic officer. His contract as superintendent was not set to expire until 2023. His salary was about $237,000 as of the 2021 school year, according to the Connecticut Post.

As it has in the past, the school board will retain an outside firm to assist with its superintendent search, according to Vitale, who said that while she sees the value of hiring a candidate familiar with the state's education system, the job would be advertised nationally.

"The board has not had the opportunity to meet and discuss these details yet, but we look forward to engaging the community in these discussions moving forward," she said in the email.

Vitale anticipated the board would need to bring in an interim superintendent to fill the gap immediately following Cummings' departure, but said she hoped to see the district's permanent hire in place as early into the 2022-23 school year as possible.