Trailor New Choice For Interim Superintendent

The Woonsocket School Committee will announce and vote for the interview committee's second choice for interim superintendent tonight and if approved, the position is expected to be offered to Dr. Colette Trailor, former superintendent of Provincetown, MA, Sprague, CT and Lincoln, RI school districts. 

The committee's first choice, Portsmouth's departing Superintendent Susan Lusi announced last week that she will instead be taking a one year position in Providence.

Lusi was named in a two to three vote as a fill-in for Superintendent Robert Gerardi's, who will be leaving Woonsocket for a position in Maynard, MA on June 30. Committee members Vimala Phongsavanh and Anita McGuire-Forcier voted against the hire.

"I was very interested in Woonsocket and I thanked the people for offering me the position," said Lusi of her decision. Because the Providence position is for a full year, however, and thanks to Lusi's past experience in the city, she turned Woonsocket down. "Because of the previous tie, Providence is where my heart lay," she said.

The five member interview committee of Finance Director Stacey Busby, Technology Dorector Jonathan Gallishaw, Assistant Special Education Director Ken Duva, Human Resources Director Kathleen Lombardo and Woonsocket Teacher's Guild President Richard DiPardo originally choose their three favorites from the stack of potential hires. The group met again earlier this week before recommending Trailor.

Trailor has served as an interim in two other districts and has been a consultant for Brown University, advising female superintendents in New England, New York and the Virgin Islands. She would make $538 a day while a permanent replacement is sought.