New public school principals will assume leadership roles across Pierce County when school doors open again this fall.
Some of the new administrators replace others who have retired or resigned. Others are part of a periodic re-deployment of staff members within school districts.
Tacoma leads the way with new principals in 14 buildings. Across the Narrows Bridge, Gig Harbor High School in the Peninsula School District continues a stretch of change with its third principal in less than a year.
Here are the changes announced so far by local school districts:
Tacoma
Kevin Ikeda will be the new principal at Stadium High School. He replaces Gail Barnum, who resigned.
Ikeda comes to Stadium from Gray Middle School. Before that, he was principal at Meeker Middle School.
Interim Superintendent Carla Santorno said Ikeda has a good track record of increasing student achievement, parent engagement, and building relationships with students.
Brenda McBrayer, formerly principal at Truman Middle School, replaces Ikeda as principal at Gray Middle School.
Justina Johnson, former assistant principal at Foss High School, moves to the principal’s post at Truman Middle School.
Sandra Lindsay-Brown is the new principal at Bryant Montessori School. She replaces Claudia Mason, who resigned. Lindsay-Brown was most recently principal at Montessori School of Choice in Rock Hill, S.C.
Other new principal assignments in Tacoma include James Neil at Birney Elementary, Donna Basil at Whittier Elementary, Wendy Pye-Carter at Arlington Elementary, Aaron Wilkins at Boze Elementary, Larry West at Downing Elementary, Kate Frazier (formerly interim principal, now permanent) at Lister Elementary, Kelly Evans at Northeast Tacoma Elementary, Sue Goerger at Skyline Elementary, Becky Owens at Sheridan Elementary and Anne Tsuneishi at Sherman Elementary.
Bethel
There are three new high school principals in the district: Lynn Gill at Graham-Kapowsin, Julie Baublits at Spanaway Lake and Michelle Ledbetter at the Pierce County Skills Center.
Other new principals are Jeff Gutfeld at Bethel Middle School, Mark Barnes at Frontier Middle School, Constance Martinson at Clover Creek Elementary, Kim Hanson at Evergreen Elementary, Amy Low at Graham Elementary, Michelle Fox at Rocky Ridge Elementary and Brad Graham at Spanaway Elementary. Fox is from the Puyallup School District, and Barnes is from LaPorte, Colo. All other new principals are from within the district.
Eatonville
Ashley Barker, formerly assistant principal at Eatonville High School, is the new principal.
Fife
Amanda Fox is the new principal at Fife High School. She was formerly assistant principal. She replaces Mark Knight, who took a job in the Puyallup School District.
Teresa Sinay, formerly director of counseling in the White River School District, is the new principal at Alice V. Hedden Elementary. She replaces Julia Grubiak, who retired after 35 years with the Fife district.
Franklin Pierce
Connie Holman is principal at Brookdale Elementary.
Orting
John “Jack” Widmann is new principal at Orting Middle School.
Peninsula
Tom Leacy, former principal of Decatur High School in Federal Way, is the new principal at Gig Harbor High School. He replaces acting principal Grant Hosford, who came out of retirement for the interim position. Hosford replaced Ted Strong last spring after Strong was arrested in March on suspicion of drunken driving.
Two elementary schools will also be under new leadership. Artondale Principal Kathy Weymiller and Evergreen Principal Jacque Crisman will switch assignments.
Puyallup
Almai Malit-Idler is the new principal at Wildwood Elementary.
Steilacoom
Brian Hanson from the Battle Ground School District is the new principal at Steilacoom High School. He replaces Jan McCrimmon, who retired.
University Place
Rebecca Lee is the new principal at University Place Primary School.
Staff writer Karen Miller and the Peninsula Gateway contributed to this report.
debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com
253-597-8635
