Superintendent Finalist to Go Before School Committee at Public Meeting

The only finalist for superintendent of schools in East Providence will go before the School Committee in City Hall on Wednesday evening, Feb. 27.

The special public meeting starts at 7 pm in the Council Chamber.

Kim Mercer, deputy superintendent in the neighboring Pawtucket school system for 11 years, will be interviewed with questions gathered from a variety of sources, said School Committee Chairman Joel Monteiro.

The questions are coming from a variety of sources, including staff, teachers, and members of the school board. The questions have been screened to avoid duplications, he said.

Mercer is considered far and away the leading candidate to fill the school superintendent’s post, said Monteiro, a search committee member who is very familiar with her credentials.

“We had a couple of dozen applicants,” he said of of the search committee, which includes the chair and a staff member of the East Providence Budget Commission, a representative from the RI Department of Education, and the superintendent of schools in Lincoln.

“Our goal was to have two or three applicants to present to the Budget Commission,” he said. “It didn’t work out that way. But she just stood out. She has the experience and knowledge to bring to an empty administration office. She brings a lot of upside.”

Monteiro said he was adamant that the next superintendent be someone who can bring stability to the position, “be here for the long haul or some period of time, have no history of bouncing around or previously been removed, and not be a retiree who comes here to just supplement their income.”

After reviewing the applications, he said, “there were only a handful of candidates that we decided to bring in.”

“Of those, there were really only two with central office experience,” he said. “One was from out of state. She became the most obvious choice, especially from her experience level. I think she would have stood out no matter what.”

And Mercer would come from a city with similar demographics and financial challenges and with extensive knowledge of Rhode Island education, he said.

Even though Mercer is right now the only candidate of interest, Monteiro said, the School Committee “will not be voting on her Wednesday.”

“I would like the School Committee to vote before Mercer goes to the Budget Commission for approval,” he said. “I think it is important for the School Committee to express its opinion.”

He anticipates that the School Committee will vote on Mercer at its next meeting on March 12. But the next step in the process is a bit unclear, Monteiro said Monday.

But one step at a time, he said. Wednesday’s meeting is expected to seal the deal with Mercer. But if she stumbles in some way, Monteiro said, the search committee will have to start over because she is the only finalist at this time.