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Superintendent Andrew O’Leary and Deputy Superintendent Darcie Aungst have signed new contracts that will extend their leadership of New Bedford Public Schools through June 2031.
O’Leary, who became the district’s permanent superintendent in January 2024, said: “I am very appreciative of the School Committee’s support and confident that, together, we’ll work as hard as possible to match the promise of our city’s young people.”
O’Leary will make $234,000 in the first year of the new contract, which takes effect on July 1 — the beginning of the school’s fiscal year. Aungst will earn $198,000. For both leaders, the contracts will represent a roughly 3% raise over their last year’s salary, then will increase by 2% for each of the five years of the contracts.
O’Leary added that he was proud to serve alongside Aungst, the deputy superintendent and former principal of both Congdon and DeValles elementary schools. “I’m especially grateful that the Committee endorsed the leadership partnership I’ve developed with one of the state’s leading educators, our Deputy Superintendent Darcie Aungst,” O’Leary said.
The School Committee approved the new contracts at its annual Winter Retreat on Feb. 20 at the Wilks Branch of the public library, which was open to the public. The committee previously had deliberated during the executive session at the February meeting of the School Committee.
The School Committee members were unanimously in favor of extending the contracts. Newly elected School Committee member Richard Porter called the process “an easy negotiation,” because the committee felt the two leaders were the best fit for their jobs. O’Leary and Aungst were “spot on what we need right now in the school system to move forward,” Porter said.
Mayor Jon Mitchell, who also serves as ex officio chair of the School Committee, provided a statement through a press release: “Superintendent O’Leary and Deputy Superintendent Aungst have established clear expectations for academic performance and have heightened accountability,” Mitchell said. “The New Bedford Public Schools is on a pathway toward sustained improvement under their leadership.”
Melissa Costa, another committee member, praised O’Leary and Aungst for “their proven commitment to academic growth, equity, and opportunity.”
Aungst said in a statement, “It is a tremendous honor to continue serving New Bedford Public Schools as Deputy Superintendent. I’m very grateful for the School Committee’s confidence and for the opportunity to keep working alongside our staff, leaders, and families in service of our incredible students.”
In January, the School Committee shared its annual evaluation of O’Leary’s performance. That report, shared by member Christopher Cotter, identified O’Leary’s areas of strength in “fiscal stewardship and operational leadership,” and an “instructional focus on literacy, arts, and early learning,” among other areas.
For areas of growth, School Committee members identified “family and community engagement” and “improved academic outcomes and targets.”
Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org
Darcy is the best. It’s money well spent. She handles children with the correct response. Discipline when needed and encouragement most of the time. She is what a superintendent is made of.