New London — The Board of Education on Thursday voted to appoint Stephen Tracy, a retired veteran administrator who has led several different school districts across the state, as the city's interim superintendent.

Tracy, who most recently served as the interim superintendent in Fairfield and lives with his wife on a goat farm in Goshen, is expected to start on Monday.

Negotiations on Tracy’s contract are ongoing, but board members expressed confidence in his ability to provide for a smooth transition as they begin a search for permanent superintendent.

“I’m looking forward to pitching in and getting through this interim period,” Tracy said in a phone interview Thursday. “I was always impressed with this notion of creating magnet schools and opening doors to students inside and outside of the city. It’s a very bold move and interesting way to try and improve a school system."

"I’m just very committed to seeing public schools do well,” he added.

School starts on Aug. 31 in the district, and retiring Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera is expected to stay on for two weeks to aid in Tracy’s transition.

The school board already has named a committee to start the search for a permanent superintendent, though a first meeting has not yet been scheduled. Tracy said he has no plans to apply for the permanent position. School board members said his contract is likely to be for 90 days, with an option for an extension.

Tracy was one of four people interviewed for the interim position and came as a recommendation from Rivera. The two met and worked at Edison Schools Inc., a for-profit school management company where Tracy was a senior vice president and Rivera the executive vice president of development.

“All four (candidates) were good. (Tracy) had to be the best in my mind and he can start right away,” school board Vice President Margaret Mary “Peg” Curtin said. “I was impressed with his attitude. I think he’ll bring a calmness.”

“I’m very happy we do have him on board,” School Board President Scott Garbini said.

The board voted 5-1 on the appointment, with board member Sylvia Potter abstaining and Jason Catala voicing his opposition to the pick.

Catala said that, while he would work with Tracy, “I felt we had candidates which were much stronger, some people who really knew New London, from New London, screamed New London.” He said he recommended two of the four candidates.

Before he was gaveled as out of order by Garbini, Catala added, “There is no way I would support someone who was recommended by our current superintendent who we gave a three-year extension to and decided to leave our district.”

Tracy worked as school superintendent in New Milford from 1985 to 1993 and at Edison Schools from 1993 to 2007 and was the school superintendent in Derby from 2008 to 2012. Tracy has degrees from Columbia, Princeton and Harvard.

From 2012 to 2015 Tracy served as the superintendent of schools for the state Department of Children and Families, known as Unified District 2, which is responsible for the education of children in foster care.

Tracy said his department advocated for the education of about 4,000 youths in foster care attending public schools, along with three schools serving youths in juvenile detention or residential care. It was during his time with DCF that Tracy said he had some exposure to the New London school district.  

He said it was an important job serving a “very deserving group of youngsters whose families had their own difficulties.”

Tracy also is known for his humanitarian work as a board member and a host family for the New Milford-based Healing the Children Northeast. The group brings in children from other countries for medical treatments and surgeries. Two children, one from Nigeria and another from Belize, presently are living at his home with Tracy and his wife.

“I think New London is very fortunate to have a highly experienced interim superintendent who has such a variety of experiences. I am 100 percent confident he will do an excellent job continuing the transformative initiatives we have begun,” Rivera said.

g.smith@theday.com