By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BURRILLVILLE — School Superintendent Steven Welford will be packing his bags for Westerly.
Welford, Burrillville’s school chief for the past two years, was appointed school superintendent of the Westerly public school system by a unanimous vote of the Westerly School Committee Wednesday night.

Welford beat out the only other candidate for the post, Wayne Alexander, superintendent of schools in Hernando County, Fla.
According to Westerly School Committee Chairman James Murano Jr., Welford has accepted the job, signed a contract and will start in mid-July. The details of Welford’s contract were not immediately available, but the job was advertised with an annual salary of between $115,000 and $137,000. Right now, the Westerly School District is being run under the leadership of interim School Superintendent Salvatore Augeri, whose contract runs through June 30.
Burrillville School Committee Chairwoman Debra Stockwell said Thursday that Welford called her personally on Monday to notify her he would be accepting the job in Westerly, although the Burrillville committee had been aware he was a finalist for the job. Members of the School Committee, including Stockwell, had been approached by Westerly school officials during a site visit they made to the Burrillville school district last week.
 “You can’t blame anyone for wanting to move on to a situation that is more rewarding financially,” she said. “It’s the American way.”
Stockwell said the committee is expected to formally accept Welford’s resignation at its meeting Tuesday. After that, she will ask the committee to begin considering an interim replacement, saying she would like to see an interim superintendent in place by the time school opens next September. At that point, the committee will begin the process of finding a permanent replacement with help from a committee-appointed superintendent search committee.
In the meantime, Welford is scheduled to speak at graduation ceremonies on June 12.
Welford has been seeking employment elsewhere for the past year. In January, the North Kingstown School Committee voted 5-1 to eliminate Welford as finalist for the job of school superintendent in that town, saying Welford wasn’t the right man for the job at that point in time.
Welford was chosen by the North Kingstown School Committee as the final candidate for the job in December, beating out two other candidates, including Sandwich School
Superintendent Nancy Young and Taunton Superintendent Arthur Stellar.
Welford was hired by Burrillville in 2006 to replace former School Superintendent Barbara A. VonVillas, who left the district halfway through the year. Welford’s appointment completed a search that lasted several months, after the committee voted not to renew the contract of VonVillas, who had been the Burrillville superintendent for seven years.
Welford, who has more than 25 years of experience in Massachusetts and New Hampshire public schools, had his contract was renewed last July by a 4 to 2 vote of the School Committee.
Prior to heading Burrillville schools, Welford worked as interim schools superintendent in Gorham, N.H.; an elementary principal in Wakefield, Mass.; and assistant superintendent in Hooksett, N.H.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in school administration from Salem State College, and is pursuing a doctorate from Northeastern University, with a 2011 anticipated completion.