WARWICK — With Warwick School District Superintendent Carole Learned-Miller planning to take a year-long sabbatical during the 2026-2027 school year, the district has named Kate Carbone to fill the role of interim superintendent.
Carbone has been an educator for 35 years in Connecticut, where she most recently served as superintendent and assistant superintendent of Bristol Public Schools. During her time in this role, she was also co-chair of the Connecticut Association of Urban Superintendents and treasurer of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.
Before her most recent job as superintendent, Carbone served as the chief of elementary and middle grades programming and assistant superintendent of instructional leadership for Hartford Public Schools, principal of Chippens Hill Middle School in Bristol and assistant principal of East Hartford Middle School.
She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Connecticut, a superintendent certificate from Central Connecticut State University, a master’s of education from Southern Connecticut State University, and a bachelor’s degree in education and sociology from Assumption College.
“She has a lot of experience as an instructional leader, working in districts where they’re doing really innovative types of instruction the way that we’re doing in Warwick,” Learned-Miller said. “She has a lot of experience with things like project-based learning, which is something that we do in Warwick, and … really when we were having discussions with her and having interviews, we really felt like we were learning.”
Part of Carbone’s work in Connecticut involved overseeing all aspects of the Reimagining BPS 2023 Plan, which worked to enhance efficiency and equity throughout Bristol Public Schools. During this same time, Carbone supervised the construction and opening of the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School, the first arts magnet school in Bristol.
“I’ve had just such a unique opportunity throughout my career to support different models of education,” Carbone said. “[I’ve supported] magnet schools within Connecticut that promote multiple models that are available for families, and in those there were environmental studies models, as well as a Montessori secondary program. … One of the parts of it is to be on the farm. So for 60 days, learning is farm-based, and then 120 [days are] classroom-based.
“The mix of my background and experiences with different types of educational models, I feel, really compliments the entire program and philosophy of the Warwick Community School,” Carbone continued.
Learned-Miller said the district posted the position widely and had a very strong crop of candidates. Interviews were conducted in three rounds, with the first round taking place with one member of the hiring committee, the second round taking place with the leadership team and the third round being in person, meeting staff, students and families.
Following tours at the school, each of the three finalists met with the School Committee for a formal interview. July 1 was technically Learned-Miller’s last day as superintendent in Warwick, though she said she’ll help Carbone with the transition.
“Since we’ve offered [Carbone] the position, she’s actually come in person three days to shadow me,” Learned-Miller said. “She’s sat in on many different kinds of meetings, [including] professional development for teachers that I was leading. … She’s doing important planning, setting important goals for next year.”
Carbone said she heard about the open position from some colleagues, and threw her name into the running because of Warwick Community School’s mission.
“[It’s] such a small community-based district and school, as well as its mission to promote project-based learning and using the environment as part of the classroom,” Carbone said about what prompted her to apply. “It’s an amazing model for children, especially children at the primary level as they’re becoming familiar with their educational experience.”
During her sabbatical, Learned-Miller will be living in Paris with her husband, writing a book about joyful learning experiences for children. Learned-Miller will return as Warwick’s full-time superintendent for the 2027-2028 school year.
