E.P. School Board Expected to Approve Nominee for Superintendent

The East Providence School Committee is expected to approve the nomination of Kim Mercer as the next superintendent of schools at its meeting tonight in City Hall.

School Committee Chairman Joel Monteiro said Mercer, the deputy superintendent of schools in Pawtucket, is the only finalist and has the endorsement of the search committee.

"I anticipate we'll get a motion to appoint her as superintendent," he said.

Given her appointment by the School Committee, Mercer's starting date could be "almost immediate" even though her appointment still needs the official approval of the East Providence Budget Commission on March 28.

But Budget Commission Chair Diane Brennan was on the search committee, he said. And the budget board has been slowly giving hiring powers back to the city, so he doesn't see the budget board as an obstacle.

Mercer's "almost immediate" starting date comes because of the cooperation East Providence has been receiving from Pawtucket school officials, Monteiro said.

"I would like to have her work with John for at least a week," he said, referring to Interim Superintendent John DeGoes, whose contact with the city ends on March 31.

Mercer was really the only candidate of serious interest from the five-member selection committee, said Monteiro. She was the only candidate invited to a public forum in City Hall.

"We have heard nothing but positive things about her," Monteiro said.

Click here to see the Patch story on the public forum held on Feb. 27 to meet Mercer.

Here is the complete agenda for tonight's meeting, which will include a briefing on the NECAP scores released recently by the RI Department of Education.

East Providence School Committee

East Providence City Hall

145 Taunton Avenue (Conference Room aand Council Chamber)

March 12, 2013

AGENDA

A. Call to Order Public Session – 6:30 PM

B. The Committee will seek to convene in Executive Session forpurposes of discussing:1) Personnel – R.I. Gen. Laws §42-46-5(a)(1)2) Collective Bargaining R.I. Gen. Laws §42-46-5(a)(2)3) Litigation/Pending Litigation-R.I. Gen. Laws §42-46-5(a)(2)

C. Return to Public Session – 7:00 PM

D. Report Executive Session Votes

E. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag & Moment of Silence

F. Student/Staff Recognition

G. Student Liaison Report – Joshua Conception

H. Report on Budget Commission

I. Public Comment

J. Interim Superintendent’s Report

1) School Safety Update (Anthony Feola – Lt. Blinn – E. P. Police

2) ITT Update

3) 2012 NECAP Results (Rebekah Gendron)

4) Middle School Sports Update

K. Consent Agenda

1) Finance report

2) ERP Financial Management System (Malcom Moore)

L. Action Items

1) Appointment of Superintendent of Schools

2) Personnel Appointments

3) Summer School Proposal

4) Home School Requests

M. Old Business

1) PTA Reports

N. Public Comments