Newport School District Hires Robert Wargo as Interim Superintendent

The Newport school board hired Robert Wargo as its next interim superintendent, tapping a former Rhode Island district leader to head SAU 43 at $145,000 a year with a contract starting July 1.

Wargo most recently served as superintendent of the Barrington, Rhode Island, school district, where he resigned after one year. He will replace Forrest Ransdell, who also served one year as interim after arriving from the Manchester School District.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as interim superintendent of the Newport School District," Wargo said in an email following the announcement. "Throughout the selection process, I observed the community's strong commitment to supporting and educating every student. I look forward to working with the dedicated school board, exceptional educators, and for the talented students of SAU 43."

The hire lands in the middle of one of the district's most demanding budget stretches in recent years. The board, chaired by Nikki Murphy and including members Jessica Packard, Keith Sayer, Melissa Mitchler, and Paul Brown, has been cutting $2.2 million from the district's proposed budget for the coming school year, a process that consumed most of the board's winter meeting schedule. In January, Ransdell told the board plainly that reductions still fell short: "You have not reached the level of reduction necessary."

At $145,000, Wargo's salary matches what Ransdell earned, holding the interim role to the same cost even as the district seeks savings elsewhere. The July 1 start date puts Wargo in immediate control of budget execution, staffing, contract negotiations, and the district's reporting obligations to the New Hampshire Department of Education across five schools serving roughly 753 students.

With the district having cycled through two consecutive interim superintendents, the board's next major decision will be how and when to launch a permanent search, and the criteria that search uses. Wargo's handling of the remaining budget work and his engagement with parent groups, teachers, and municipal officials in the towns that make up SAU 43 will set the tone for that process before it even begins.