Pawtucket School Committee appoints interim leader as superintendent
The Pawtucket School Committee voted to appoint Randy A. Buck as the superintendent after he his tenure as an interim superintendent. (Pawtucket School Committee)
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WJAR) — The Pawtucket School Committee voted to appoint Randy A. Buck as the superintendent after he his tenure as an interim superintendent.
According to officials, Buck was first named as the acting superintendent last February and interim superintendent last July.
“Superintendent Buck has led with integrity, urgency, and heart, and he has shown a clear commitment to working inclusively with our staff, students, and families,” said School Committee Chair Joanne Bonollo. “He faces challenges head-on, and he is focused on elevating education across Pawtucket and raising the bar for what our students deserve.”
School committee officials said Buck has spearheaded Slater Middle School redesign, advanced district financial transparency, strengthened culture during his year-long tenure.
“It has been the honor of my career to serve Pawtucket this past year,” said Buck. “While 2025 was about building momentum and stabilizing our foundations, 2026 and beyond will be about excellence. I am fully ‘All In’ for our students, our staff, and this city every day of the year.”
This comes after the previous Superintendent Patricia Royal ended her tenure in June 2025, more three months after going out on leave and more than two months after filing a scathing lawsuit against city officials.
Royal claimed in the lawsuit she was “unlawfully removed” and that she faced racist comments and overtones during her tenure of less than two years.
Buck faced criticism last September after he reportedly took a "welcome back" speech from another superintendent in Pennsylvania.
In a video, you can hear both Buck and Allentown Superintendent Sr. Carol Birk saying some of the same statements.
The Pawtucket School Department Administration Office sent NBC 10 a statement at the time, saying they believed the borrowed language was fair use.
