Interim Superintendent Tom Raab Named Ideal Candidate to Scituate Permanently
Elementary Naming Process Overhauled with Expanded Summer Deadline
SCITUATE - May 18, 2026 - Following a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder superintendent profile evaluation, the Scituate School Committee signaled a unanimous consensus to transition Interim Superintendent Dr. Tom Raab into the permanent leadership role. Praised across all metrics—including his distinct dual expertise in school finance and building-level operations—committee members collectively determined that bypassing an expensive external search in favor of a “known talent” who has spent two years building deep municipal trust was the best path forward for the district’s long-term stability.
The Full Story
The Scituate School Committee opened its regular session on high-level administrative business, evaluating data compiled by an independent executive consultant tasked with drafting a “Superintendent Candidate Profile”. Dr. Carey Borkoski led the synthesis of the data, which condensed individual assessments from the school board, public feedback, and regional focus groups into seven distinct evaluation categories: communication, collaboration, curriculum, budget/finance, strategic leadership, technical expertise, and overall educational operations.
The evaluation results overwhelmingly validated Dr. Raab’s performance during his interim year. Committee members highlighted his unmatched clarity in budget and finance—noting his background as the district’s former business manager allows him to seamlessly translate complex educational priorities into distinct budget lines that the town can rally behind. The data also praised his soft skills, characterizing him as an “even-keeled,” approachable leader who holds face-to-face office hours and remains highly visible across all grade levels, athletic functions, and neighborhood PTOs.
When evaluating whether to execute a formal, wide-scale external search, the committee performed a strict risk-benefit analysis. Committee member Maria Fenwick noted that typical external recruitment processes provide mere “tiny snippets” of a person’s capability and carry substantial unknown risks. Board members ultimately agreed that Dr. Raab met every localized criteria established by stakeholders. Dr. Borkoski framed the final consensus using a logical margin-of-benefit comparison:
“The economist in me is like, at the margin, what would have to be the benefit of an external candidate to outweigh the benefits of everything I know about Tom? And I couldn’t think of anything... I just can’t make that math work for me.” — Dr. Carey Borkoski
The board will formally request a letter of interest from Dr. Raab, positioning a final permanent appointment vote for their subsequent public meeting.
