A handful of new district and building administrators were formerly approved by the School Committee and introduced to the public at its Tuesday, Aug. 13, meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Sandra Forand made the announcements after the Committee passed her recommendations on the appointments as part of its monthly Consent Agenda docket item.

At the top of the list is Lisa Benedetti Ramzi, who takes over as the East Providence School Department's new assistant superintendent, replacing the recently retired Dr. Celeste Bowler.

Benedetti-Ramzi spent the last 18 years in the neighboring Pawtucket School Department, most recently in a similar role as the one she'll take over here.

Also in the central office, Cristina Lyman was named as the district's new full-time assistant director of pupil personnel, the top aide to director Leslie Anderson.

Lyman was a classroom instructor for 28 years before becoming Assistant Director of Student Services for West Warwick Public Schools for some 20 months. She spent the last term as the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for South Kingstown schools.

Nicole Worzel-Piascik was named as the new assistant principal at Kent Heights Elementary, joining the building staff led by principal Lloydanne Leddy.

Worzel-Piascik comes to the district after serving most recently as an assistant principal at Woonsocket Middle School during the 2023-24 term. For the 24 years previous, she was the director of bands for the Woonsocket School District.

In the classroom, the Committee also approved the following hires: Jodi Lamagna, Science, East Providence High School; Lauren Hayden, Speech at EPHS; Nicole Fellows, Special Education, Silver Spring Elementary; and Alexis Austin, Special Education, Hennessey Elementary.

In addition, the district's Informational Technology department will have two new leaders after Patrick McDonald and John Iemma were named as co-directors. Iemma needed more very far. He comes to the school department's administrative offices on the high school campus from the city side, where he has worked for East Providence since 2014.

With the list of new hires in place and introduced, Forand said, "All of our administrative vacancies are full at this point so we are ready to start the new year in a couple of weeks."

The 2024-25 East Providence School District term begins on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

New RMS admins
Also of note, though not specifically mentioned at the August 13 meeting, Michael Gilmore and Michaela Frattarelli are the new lead administrative team at Riverside Middle School.

Gilmore takes over as the new RMS principal. He comes to the district from Pawtucket where he helmed the Joseph Jenks Middle School for the last two terms in the same role. Before that, he was the principal for over five years at the Agnes E. Little Elementary School adjacent to Jenks and across the road from McCoy Stadium on Division Street.

New assistant principal Frattarelli, a graduate of St. Mary Academy-Bay View in city, also comes to the district from Pawtucket where she spent the bulk her career, 17 years, in Guidance and prior to that was as a Science teacher at Charles E. Shea High School.

The duo replaces the former team of principal Dr. Julie Giangiulio and assistant Glen Salgueiro. Giangiulio left the district to take a similar position in Foster/Gloucester. Salgueiro, a product of the EPSD and a long-time employee, is remaining local and will return to the classroom as a Social Studies teacher at Martin Middle School.

Facilities update
New Director of Facilities Dan Carpenter, who most recently served as the district's Assistant Director of Facilities, gave his first monthly report to the Committee. Carpenter replaced former Facilities Director Chris Murphy, whose contract was not renewed as of its end date of June 30.

Carpenter's report included an update on the Orlo Avenue Elementary School courtyard renovation, which started on July 1. The concrete patio and handicap ramps have been poured. Irrigation piping is being installed soon to be followed by sod (grass), flowers, outside furniture and storage items. The project is slated to be completed by the end of August.

At the Francis Elementary School, he said the boiler project also began at the start of the July, initially with the demolition of existing components then with the installation of new piping and main heating elements.

The director noted EPSD in-house HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technicians are performing upgrades to the Whiteknact Elementary School heating system, which the director said is expected to the completed in time for the start of the new term.

Carpenter completed his first report by thanking his custodian staff for performing the annual summer cleaning and repairs to buildings around the district.

Finance update
Director of Finance Craig Enos, in anticipation of a discussing later in the meeting on the district's proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget, gave the Committee a brief update on the current state of finances.

Enos said, "We continue to be in good shape," while noting the administration is a keeping a close eye on required expenses related to Special Needs students and those now necessary due to the closure of the former East Bay Educational Collaborative.

Building Committee updates
Carpenter and Ward 4 Committee member Jessica Beauchaine provided the body an update from the previous evening's District Building Committee meeting.

The steel has been delivered and the skeleton of the new three-story classroom structure at Martin Middle School is rising around the completed elevator shaft. Inside the old building, bleachers are ready to be re-installed in the gymnasium.

At Waddington Elementary, 70-plus workers are putting the finishing touches on the phase one of the multi-year upgrades there. One of the key items, closing in the open classrooms with walls, is completed. August 23 is the completion date for the current phase of the project, which will continue next summer upon the end of the 2024-25 term.

At Riverside, the media center, as previously anticipated, will not be ready until approximately mid-September. However, the renovated science classrooms are just about finished and will be available when school opens the last week of August.

As part of his general Facilities update earlier, Carpenter also noted the RMS new window project is approaching its end and new shades are being installed.