Members of the Barrington School Committee officially welcomed incoming Superintendent Robert Wargo to town during their meeting earlier this month.

They also offered him a quick tip on drinking a Del’s lemonade.

School Committee Chairman Patrick McCrann joked that while Wargo was recently visiting the local schools and meeting people in the district, he had been spotted drinking his Del’s with a straw. The story drew some light-hearted laughs from those at the meeting. 

Wargo explained that the lemonade was melting quickly. 

He thanked officials for the warm welcome and asked that people call him Rob. Wargo also praised the work of out-going superintendent Michael Messore.

Messore smiled and said he could call him Mike. 

Toward the beginning of the discussion, McCrann spoke about the process followed to find and then hire Wargo. 

Barrington conducted a national search for the new superintendent. The School Committee hired a firm that specializes in finding and recruiting school district and education leadership. The School Committee also appointed a 16-person search committee that reviewed the candidates and selected a group of finalists. Those individuals were interviewed and in May, the School Committee announced its selection. 

According to a press release from the Barrington School Committee, Wargo has served in a number of school districts, at the district-level and school-level administrative positions. Wargo recently served as superintendent of Weymouth (Mass.) Public Schools. He began his work in Weymouth as an assistant superintendent of instructional services and support, and prior to that served as principal of Scituate (Mass.) High School. According to an article in The Patriot Ledger, Wargo also served as an athletic director and guidance counselor at the Bromfield School in Harvard, Mass.

The Barrington School Committee and Wargo agreed on a three-year contract (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027). Wargo will be paid a salary of $265,000 a year. He will also receive an automobile allowance of $300 per month.