Westport Appoints Interim Superintendent Of Schools

WESTPORT, CT — The Westport Board of Education announced Monday that David Abbey has been appointed as the Interim Superintendent of Schools, effective Wednesday. He will serve until a permanent Superintendent is found, presumably for the 2020-2021 school year, school officials said.

According to a press release, Abbey’s appointment marks a return to Westport, where he once served as the Coordinator of the Westport Regional Center and Department of Special Education at Staples High School.

After working in Westport, he served in several leadership capacities for New Canaan Public Schools, including Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Principal of New Canaan High School and Superintendent of Schools. He has also served as the Interim Director of Human Resources for both Newtown and Wilton Public Schools.

"It is gratifying to find someone of Dr. Abbey’s caliber to lead our schools through this transition period," Westport Board of Education Chair Mark Mathias said in a press release. "The fact that he has experience in the Westport Public Schools adds to Dr. Abbey’s ability to quickly and effectively engage with our Westport community."

See also: Westport Superintendent's Separation Agreement Revealed: Report

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"I would like to thank the Board of Education for appointing me as Interim Superintendent of Schools," Abbey said in a release. "The Westport Public Schools is an outstanding district - and has a long-standing, and well-deserved reputation as a lighthouse district, supported by a highly engaged community and benefitting from an excellent group of teachers, administrators and staff. For me, working in Westport is a homecoming of sorts."

On March 14, Westport Public Schools announced Palmer would retire as Superintendent of Schools this year, capping 35 years of public service to Connecticut students, including 15 years as a Superintendent.

She has served as Superintendent in Westport since 2016. At the time of the announcement, school officials said the Board of Education would work quickly to find a successor.