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The search for a replacement for Longo, however, who worked for the Norwalk system for the past two years, will consist of the more traditional approach of posting the position and seeing who applies, according to officials.
Longo will leave at the end of the school year to take over as the Westport’s next assistant superintendent for business, starting on July 1.
He will replace current Assistant Superintendent for Business Nancy Harris, who is retiring on June 30 after 13 years with the district. Longo’s appointment was unanimously approved by the Westport Board of Education earlier this week.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Longo during the Westport board meeting. “I’m looking forward to building on the structures that Nancy has built for the district over her course of 13 years in Westport.”
Longo’s brief tenure in the city followed 10 years with the Danbury school system, and he is perhaps best known in Norwalk for uncovering the $4 million accounting problem that led to layoffs. His work in the Norwalk system has been widely praised by officials.
In Westport, Superintendent Elliott Landon described Longo as an “experienced business administrator” with many years of experience working with local school districts and municipal governments.
Longo leaves Norwalk as last year’s fourth overall highest paid employee, earning just over $180,200. He was the second-highest paid education official behind interim school Superintendent Tony Daddona, who earned nearly $198,500.
For the Westport school system, Longo is poised to earn about $185,000 annually, according to published reports. Harris is believed to currently earn about $205,000.
Prior to joining Norwalk schools, Longo worked 10 years in the Danbury Public Schools system, where Landon said he not only oversaw a “very large” school budget, but developed business relations with the Mayor’s office and other city departments.
Before Danbury, Longo was the director of the Economics and Community Development Office in Waterbury.
“He has a track record of working very effectively, not only with school district employees, but also with municipal employees in the places he has worked,” Landon said.
For the past 15 years, Longo has also worked as an associate faculty member at Post University in Waterbury. He teaches accounting, finance, economics, math, management practices and deals with information systems, Landon said.
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