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Dear North Smithfield School Community,
It is an incredible honor to welcome you to the 2026–2027 school year and to begin my first year as Superintendent of North Smithfield Public Schools. I am incredibly grateful to the North Smithfield School Committee for entrusting me with this opportunity, and I am truly humbled by the confidence they have placed in me to serve the students, staff, families, and entire North Smithfield community. As we prepare to welcome students back into our classrooms, I am filled with excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to become part of this outstanding school community. For those I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, I would like to share a little about myself. I have spent the past 35 years in public education, with most of my career taking place in Kentucky. During that time, I have had the privilege of serving students and families in many different roles and have served as superintendent in four school districts; two in Kentucky and two here in Rhode Island, most recently in Jamestown. On a personal level, I am married to my beautiful wife, Tami, and we have three adult sons who still live in Kentucky. While Kentucky will always be an important part of our family's story, Rhode Island has become home, and I am incredibly excited about this next chapter in North Smithfield. Listen. Learn. Lead. As I begin my work in North Smithfield, my first responsibility is not to arrive with a predetermined agenda. It is to listen and learn. I want to understand what makes North Smithfield Public Schools special. I want to hear from our students, teachers, staff, families, School Committee members, community partners, and residents. I want to learn about the traditions people value, the successes they are proud of, the challenges we face, and their hopes for the future of our schools. That is why Listen. Learn. Lead. will guide my approach as I begin this journey. I am joining a strong and successful school district, and I recognize that the excellence found throughout North Smithfield is the result of many people working together over many years. My responsibility is to honor that work, understand it, and work alongside our community to build upon those strengths. My leadership philosophy is grounded in servant leadership. I believe leadership begins with relationships and that trust is built through consistency, transparency, collaboration, and being present. You can expect me to be visible in our schools and throughout the community, approachable, accessible, and willing to listen. I believe strongly that the people closest to the work have valuable perspectives that need to be heard. Most importantly, I believe every person in our district matters. Whether you teach in a classroom, drive a bus, prepare meals, maintain our facilities, coach a team, provide student services, lead a school, volunteer, serve on our School Committee, support a child at home, or contribute to our schools in another way, you are an important member of our team. And it will take all of us, working together as one team, to provide the very best opportunities for our students. To Our Students To our students: You are the reason we are here. I cannot wait to meet you, visit your classrooms, attend your games, concerts, performances, activities, and celebrations, and hear directly from you about your experiences in our schools. My commitment to you is simple: students will remain at the center of our work and our decisions. We will challenge you, support you, celebrate you, and work every day to create schools where you feel valued, respected, safe, and inspired to become the very best version of yourself. To Our Families and Community Strong schools do not exist independently of strong communities. North Smithfield's schools belong to this community, and I want our families and community members to feel connected to the work we are doing. You will see me in our schools, at athletic events, performances, community activities, and around town. When you do, please introduce yourself. Tell me about your connection to North Smithfield. Tell me what you love about our schools and what you hope for their future. Those conversations matter to me. As we begin the 2026–27 school year, there is so much to be excited about. New school years bring new possibilities: new relationships, new challenges, new accomplishments, and new opportunities for our students to discover what they are capable of achieving. I am honored to join a strong school community. My first responsibility is to listen and learn. I will work to be visible and accessible. Every person in our district matters. And together, we will build upon the many strengths of North Smithfield Public Schools while keeping our students at the center of everything we do. I am incredibly excited to be here, and even more excited about what we can accomplish together. Welcome back, North Smithfield. Let's make 2026–2027 an outstanding year! David L. Raleigh Happy last day of school! Join us in celebrating the 2025-26 school year and honoring the incredible achievements of our students and staff, made possible through the support of our families and community.
On a personal note, although my retirement doesn’t start until early August, on this last day of school, I want to express my gratitude for a memorable decade as superintendent and take this opportunity to celebrate this incredible team of dedicated, caring professionals who work tirelessly every day to impact our students’ lives and futures. NSPS is dedicated to matching cost effective operations with high quality instruction and student outcomes. This data was shared with the North Smithfield Budget Committee and School Committee. We are sharing it with the greater community:
     Public Notice: NSMS/NSHS Water Supply UPDATE for 05-26
YELLOW HIGHLIGHT INDICATES NEW ITEMS SINCE LAST UPDATE Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members, As you may know, NSPS supplies its own drinking water to our staff and students. We are considered a public water system licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Recently, public water systems were required to test drinking water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The tests showed more PFAS in the water than Rhode Island law allows. The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are sharing what we have learned about PFAS in our drinking water and what we are doing about it. What are PFAS? Where do they come from?
What were the test results? Test Dates, Locations, in PPT = Parts Per Trillion (RI PFAS Compliance = below 20 ppt) What does this mean?
Can drinking water be treated to lower PFAS levels?
What is NSPS doing about the PFAS?
Where can I find more information?
We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with RIDOH to finalize and get approval for a plan to fix the PFAS levels as soon as possible. We will share updates with you throughout this process.  YELLOW HIGHLIGHT INDICATES NEW ITEMS SINCE LAST UPDATE
Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members, As you may know, NSPS supplies its own drinking water to our staff and students. We are considered a public water system licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Recently, public water systems were required to test drinking water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The tests showed more PFAS in the water than Rhode Island law allows. The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are sharing what we have learned about PFAS in our drinking water and what we are doing about it. What are PFAS? Where do they come from?
What were the test results? Test Dates, Locations, in PPT = Parts Per Trillion (RI PFAS Compliance = below 20 ppt) What does this mean?
Can drinking water be treated to lower PFAS levels?
What is NSPS doing about the PFAS?
Where can I find more information?
We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with RIDOH to finalize and get approval for a plan to fix the PFAS levels as soon as possible. We will share updates with you throughout this process.
As presented at the October 21st School Committee Meeting  25-26 NSPS and Superintendent’s Priorities and Goals
The NSPS District Strategic Plan outlines the following Annual Assessment Process: “In September of each school year, the Superintendent will present the year’s upcoming focus areas, goals, priorities, and initiatives. All school and district focus areas and initiatives will directly connect to the Strategic Plan’s overarching Strategies, Priorities, and Goals.” 1. High Standards, Quality Instruction, Curricula, and Student Success: All students will achieve high standards, annual growth, and graduate college- and career-ready as independent, creative, and contributing members of society.
2. Safe and Supportive Schools All students will learn in environments that embody a culture and climate of excellence, mutual respect, and safety.
4. Communication and Community Engagement: All students will benefit from increased family and community engagement that builds resources and opportunities for their success.
 OUR SCHOOLS NSES
NSMS
NSHS
ATHLETICS Fall
MUSIC NSHS
NSMS
  YELLOW HIGHLIGHT INDICATES NEW ITEMS SINCE LAST UPDATE
Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members, As you may know, NSPS supplies its own drinking water to our staff and students. We are considered a public water system licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Recently, public water systems were required to test drinking water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The tests showed more PFAS in the water than Rhode Island law allows. The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are sharing what we have learned about PFAS in our drinking water and what we are doing about it. What are PFAS? Where do they come from?
What does this mean?
Can drinking water be treated to lower PFAS levels?
What is NSPS doing about the PFAS?
Where can I find more information?
We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with RIDOH to finalize and get approval for a plan to fix the PFAS levels as soon as possible. We will share updates with you throughout this process.
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AuthorDavid Raleigh, Archives
August 2026
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