Superintendent, principal named in East Greenwich
7:10 AM Wed, Jun 17, 2009 | Permalink
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| Wednesday's Providence Journal front page »
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. -- In the end, one candidate was enough. The School Committee Tuesday night named Victor D. Mercurio as its new superintendent, picking him from a field that had narrowed itself down to just one candidate -- Mercurio. The two other finalists withdrew during the process. Also, as expected, the committee named Cole Middle School assistant principal Alexis Meyer as Cole's new principal, replacing Michael Zajac, who is leaving for a similar post at the Scituate Middle School. The superintendent vote was 6-1. Only Deidre S. Gifford voted against him, saying that Mercurio has only worked in Warwick, where he is currently director of secondary education, he has no superintendent experience, and he doesn't have any construction experience, at a time when the committee is building a replacement for Cole and renovating part of the high school. When Mercurio was first interviewed, "I said that guy could be superintendent in East Greenwich," committee member Robert J. Durant recalled. Committee members said he had been a leading contender from the start, when 14 applicants were considered to replace Charles Meyers, who is retiring to become superintendent in the tiny Fishers Island, N.Y., school district. Committee member Paul H. Martin, who has now hired three superintendents for the town, said the decision to pick Mercurio was not a rush to judgment. Even though, he said, he had initially doubted that a new superintendent could be selected by the end of June, "this was definitely a thorough process." Mercurio, whose contract must still be negotiated, said he is "very much looking forward to working with a fabulous school committee [and] a very, very committed community . . . to make sure we have students who are well prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century." gemery@projo.com / (401)277-7442 
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