Special to the Herald

Although this school year will not be a typical year, Cranston Public Schools is still very excited to share its annual listing of new and current administrators for the 2020-21 school year. We welcome all of our new building administrators and wish all of our administrators well as they begin the year.

Who’s new

Paul DePalma

is beginning his new position as principal of Gladstone School. DePalma has had a long career in the Cranston Public Schools, most recently moving from Daniel D. Waterman Elementary School where he has been the principal since 2013. Prior to that, DePalma was an assistant principal for 10 years at Cranston High School West and served at Park View Middle School for three years. DePalma also taught in the Providence Public Schools before coming to Cranston Public Schools.

Susan Buonanno

is the new principal of Daniel D. Waterman School and has been a longtime member of the Cranston Public Schools community. She spent the past eight years as principal at Gladstone School before coming to Waterman. Prior to that, Buonanno was the principal of Greenbush Elementary School in West Warwick for five years before coming to Cranston. Buonanno is most excited to meet students, faculty, staff and families of the Waterman community.

Nicholas Ruggieri

has taken on the role of Principal at Dutemple Elementary School. Ruggieri was most recently the dean of students at Western Hills Middle School and before that was in the Cranston Public Schools in a number of different roles, including as an English teacher at both Cranston High School East and West, an athletic coach and an elementary guidance counselor. He is getting ready for the new year with enthusiasm and can’t wait to bring a sense of normalcy back to the students and families in the Dutemple community.

He believes that no matter what the day-to-day operations might look like, whether it’s in person or virtual, having staff once again developing relationships and educating students is the number one priority.

Ramon Torres

is the new executive director at the New England Laborers’/Cranston Public Schools Construction & Career Academy. Torres hails from Providence Public Schools where he has spent the last two decades in administration, most recently as the career and technical education director at the Providence Career and Technical Academy. He is excited to join the NEL/CPS community and is looking forward to a great school year. He believes strongly in creating educational opportunities and experiences for all students to be career and college ready and believes that his new position will give him an opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives. He also believes that his vast array of life experiences with humble beginnings, immigrating to this country and becoming a successful educator, along with his role as a husband and father of three enable him to be a positive role model for his students. He looks forward to greeting the bright new minds that enter his school each year and is excited about the opportunities that await them in the future.

Charlene Barbieri

is the new director of the Cranston Public Schools Early Childhood Center. Barbieri was one of the teachers in the Education Pathways program at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center for 18 years, and she looks forward to using her vast knowledge of early childhood education as she shares her vision to lead and support the early learning community in building the best foundation for young children.

Who’s who

Returning elementary building administrators:

Arlington Elementary: Patricia Caporelli

Eden Park: Courtney Sevigny

Edgewood Highland Elementary School: Marlene Gamba

Garden City Elementary School: Bryan Byerlee

Glen Hills Elementary School: Jay DeCristofaro

Oaklawn Elementary School: Jim Zanfini

Orchard Farms Elementary School: Beth Basile

Peters Elementary School: Janet Antonelli

Rhodes Elementary School: Gina Armstrong

Stadium Elementary School: Cheri Sacco

Stone Hill Elementary School: Tricia Totolo

Woodridge Elementary School: Marisa Jackson

Returning middle school building administrators:

Hugh B. Bain Middle School: Keith Croft

Hope Highlands Middle School: Alex Kanelos

Park View Middle School: Cheryl Anderson

Western Hills Middle School: Tim Vesey

Returning high school building administrators:

Cranston Area Career and Technical Center: Zachary Farrell

Cranston High School East: Sean Kelly

Cranston High School West: Thomas Barbieri

Returning central office administrators:

Jeannine Nota-Masse, superintendent

Norma Cole, assistant superintendent

Joseph Balducci, chief financial officer

Michael Crudale, chief human resources officer

Joseph Rotz, executive director of educational programs and services

Michele Simpson, executive director of pupil personnel services

Roxanne Gustafson, director of education programs

Ann Bouchard, special education administrator

Cheryl Mercurio, special education administrator

Lisa Abbott, special education administrator

Vincent McAteer, transportation

Paul Olszewski, safety coordinator

Jennifer Cowart, communications specialist

Ed Collins, chief of facilities management and capital projects

Kim Magnelli, director of SIS/data management

Donna-Marie Frappier, chief technology officer

Kristen Ward, ESL Department