Swansea's superintendent of schools plans to leave after this school year

SWANSEA — Superintendent of Schools John Robidoux said he will leave the district next summer, citing a difficult work environment that he says is fostered by members of the school committee.

“It’s not something that I want. I don’t want to leave Swansea, I love Swansea,” he said during an Oct. 30 meeting of the Swansea School Committee.

In a letter sent to school committee members on Oct. 27, Robidoux said he would not seek a renewal of his current contract, which expires next year.

He said committee members’ unwillingness to meet with him to discuss concerns, give input on his performance and ask questions demonstrated that they are looking to hire a different superintendent.

“It has become increasingly evident over the last several months that members of this committee no longer value me, my hard work, or my dedication,” he wrote in the letter.

Robidoux has been with Swansea Public Schools since 2006, when he had joined the district as assistant director of special education. He became superintendent in 2016.

During the meeting, several committee members expressed regret over the situation Robidoux described, with Vice Chair Eric Graham asking what could make him reconsider his decision to leave.

“That’s a tough question to answer… I think the committee has been very clear in public forum that, like I said in my letter, that members of this committee are looking to move in a different direction,” Robidoux said in response.

Committee member Thomas Rodrigues said he was “disheartened” by Robidoux’s planned departure and said he encouraged committee members to examine any actions of theirs that may have contributed to his decision.

“I feel that it is an exceptional loss to the district,” he said. “And if it’s due to lack of support or lack of effort in open communication by members of this committee, then there are members of the committee that are failing to do their jobs, failing the staff that they claim to care about and, most importantly, failing Swansea’s student population.”

A few district employees including Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth White and William Courville, Principal at Hoyle Elementary School, gave statements during the meeting praising Robidoux’s years of service in the district. They focused on things like the superintendent’s efforts to improve school curricula, his work on school building projects and his leadership during the pandemic.

“The district is in a much better place and has seen significant growth in the past eight years,” White said. “He deserves to be appreciated for his commitment and leadership that places students and staff at the forefront of every decision he makes.”

Robidoux's current contract expires on June 30, 2024.

“My plan is to continue to do my job and to part ways in the most amicable way possible as I feel it is in the best interest of the district as a whole," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Swansea school superintendent not seeking contract renewal