AMHERST — Amherst-Pelham Regional High School is considering three finalists for the position of principal. Alan Strauss, Shannon Magee and Gene Jones will be interviewed next week for the job.
Strauss is the current principal of Weymouth High School in Weymouth, Massachusetts; Magee, a former principal at the British International School in Ghana, is the interim dean at Amherst Regional High School; and Jones, a former principal of Warwick High School in Virginia, most recently was in the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, according to biography information included in an email from the district to parents, guardians, students, faculty and staff.
In November, longtime principal Mark Jackson announced his retirement and left the school mid-year, saying that it made sense to step aside for new leadership as the school would be undertaking new initiatives. Of working in public education, he said at the time: “I’ve done it for 40 years. I’ve been a school principal for 26. The cumulative effect of that … You know when it’s time.”
Miki Gromacki, who was previously assistant principal at ARHS for 10 years, has been serving as interim principal since the fall.
Full-day interviews for each person are scheduled for next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and include time for meeting with students, administrators, staff and the superintendent. Candidates are available to meet with parents, guardians and community members on their interview dates from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. in the school library.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com