Committee favors permanent CFO but agrees to explore recruiters, interim options if interviews fail

The South Kingstown School Committee discussed strategies for filling the chief financial officer slot as round-one interviews were set to begin the following day.

Superintendent Pedraza said he is optimistic about candidates but asked permission to research contingency plans if interviews do not yield a suitable hire. He presented two options: engaging a recruiting firm to find a permanent candidate or using purchase services (contract accounting) as an interim measure. He emphasized the preference for a permanent, dedicated in-house CFO but said he wanted the committee’s input before committing resources.

Several committee members echoed that preference for a permanent hire. One member said the CFO role includes budgeting, attending subcommittee meetings and joint town meetings, and managing contracts and human-resources responsibilities—functions that argue for an in-house candidate who can attend frequent meetings.

Interim CFO David Ferrucci told the committee he expects to remain available through mid-October and offered to support recruitment and onboarding during that period. Committee members asked the superintendent to return with recruiter or firm recommendations and agreed that any contracting or hiring action would come back to the full committee for approval.

No formal hiring action was taken at the meeting; the committee approved language for the superintendent to investigate options and return with contracts or recommendations at a subsequent meeting.