Pawtucket School Department Superintendent

Pawtucket Superintendent – Patricia Royal, Ed. S.

Dear Pawtucket School District Students, Families and Community,

 

I am honored to serve as the Superintendent of Schools for the Pawtucket School District. As a dedicated instructional leader with a focus on student achievement, I am committed to ensuring that every student in our district receives the highest-quality education and opportunities to thrive.

 

Our district’s vision is “Continuously improving educational excellence and global citizenship for All, Together, every student, every day. “This vision is our testament to ensuring our students have an exceptional learning environment that empowers them to succeed. This vision emphasizes fostering a culture where every student is valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. We strive to provide a dynamic educational experience that prepares our students to become future leaders, change agents, and global citizens.

 

I am relentlessly determined to close the achievement gap and create opportunities for all students, ensuring they are college, military, or career-ready upon graduation. High-quality teaching is central to student success, and what happens in the classroom significantly impacts student growth. By working together—families, educators, and the community—we can make significant strides in preparing students for the future.

 

Our district goals include:

  • Enhancing academic achievement: We will continually focus on increasing student performance by providing an aligned curriculum, motivation, and reinforcement in every classroom.
  • Ensuring safety and well-being: We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every student, staff member, and family.
  • Promoting equity and access: Our district will provide every student with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to succeed.
  • Building meaningful relationships: We believe in fostering strong relationships with all stakeholders, ensuring that all voices are heard throughout the educational process.

 

As your Superintendent, I promise to lead with integrity, respect, and a shared vision for our district’s success. Together, we will continue positively impacting our students’ lives and future.

 

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in this journey. Let’s work together to ensure that every student excels every day.

 

Patricia Royal, Ed. S.
Superintendent of Schools
  • Assistant Superintendent
  • Lee Rabbitt
  •  
  • Chief of Schools
  • Dr. Lahna Tate
  •  
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Dale McGhee
  •  
  • Chief Human Resources & Talent Officer
  • Krystal Lofton
  •  
  • Chief Information & Innovations Officer
  • Hersh Cristino
  •  

Chief of Operations & Facilities
Dr. Mark Andrade

  •  
     

PSD Organizational Chart

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Irma DeLeon
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Home School Liaison
deleoni@psdri.net
401.729.6300 ext. 315

Dianna Liss
Administrative Assistant
Assistant Superintendent’s Team
lissd@psdri.net
401.729.6300 ext. 314

Join the Superintendent's Parent or Student Advisory Committee

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Open to Current 5th-12th Graders

Executive Leadership Team

Lee Rabbit - Assistant Superintendent

Lee Rabbit
Assistant Superintendent

Lee Rabbitt is a dedicated educational leader committed to improving educational outcomes for all students.  With over 35 years of experience, she has overseen every aspect of school departments.  She has worked for school districts as well as the RI Department of Education.   Her passion and dedication to the staff, students and community is evident every day.
Mrs. Rabbitt earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Juniata College.  She earned her Master’s Degree at Lesley University and completed the Educational Leadership program at Bridgewater State University.  
She has served on many local, state and national committees for education as well as being a long standing member of many organizations such as RISSA, ASCD and RIASP.  This includes the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) National Forum on Education Statistics, for whom she has served as chair as well as co-written several publications.  Mrs. Rabbit is a lifelong learner who empowers all in the education community to strive for excellence.

Dr. Mark Andrade - Chief of Operations and Facilities
Dr. Lahna Tate - Chief of Schools

Dr. Lahna Tate
Chief of Schools

Dr. Lahna Tate is a multifaceted person with an educational range from kindergarten to the college level. As an educator, Dr. Tate has been a teacher of both regular and special education students, a reading coach, a behavior specialist, a school administrator, an administrative coach, and a college professor of special education, leadership, curriculum, and assessment. Within these roles, Dr. Tate has developed educational policies, created curriculum resources at both the elementary and college levels, and generated a plethora of assessments aligned with state standards and standards-based teaching.

Dr. Tate has a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership, a Master’s in Special Education (Learning Disabilities), and a Bachelor’s in Special Education (Intellectual Disabilities) with a minor in Elementary Education. Dr. Tate values education and is a strong believer of doing what is best for students.

Krystal Lofton - Chief of Human Resource & Talent

Krystal Lofton
Chief of Human Resource & Talent

As the Chief of Human Resources & Talent, Mrs. Lofton oversees the district's human capital efforts, ensuring the district is attracting and retaining quality talent and creating opportunities for growth and professional development for all staff. Her primary focus is staffing and infrastructure that directs all aspects of Human Resources and Talent Management, including Talent Recruitment, Strategic School Support, Operations and Services, New Teacher Support, Labor Relations and Educator Effectiveness. 

Mrs. Lofton is a creative and versatile education professional with over 30 years of diverse experience in education, performance management and systems change.  Throughout her career, Mrs. Lofton has served in various roles at both the school and district level.  Those roles include Principal, Elementary Transformation Officer, Director of K-12 Literacy, and Director of Instructional Support. Mrs. Lofton believes all children can learn and our job is to help them reach their full potential.  Mrs. Lofton is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Program Development with an emphasis on Turnaround Leadership at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

Hersh Cristino - Chief Information & Innovation Officer

Hersh Cristino, BSc, M.Ed.
Chief Information & Innovation Officer

 

Hersh has been working for the Pawtucket School Department in Pawtucket, RI for the past twenty-six years. He holds certificates in Secondary Science, Biology, and School Administration. He began as a  middle school science teacher, and later became a Teacher Technology Coordinator for the district implementing curriculum initiatives throughout the district. In 2012 he became the Chief of Information and Innovation Officer for the Pawtucket School Department and City of Pawtucket. Hersh’s goal is to lead a team that supports the use of instructional technology as a tool for instruction and learning across the district.

 

Dale McGhee - Chief Financial Officer