Manatee Schools Announces New Principals

BRADENTON – Manatee County Schools announced the proposed appointments of nine new principals for the 2014-2015 school year. The moves will have to be approved by the school board before the administrators are officially assigned their new roles.

Acording to MCSD, the principals and their new assignments are as follows:

Elementary

Myakka City Elementary: Katherine Price – Ms. Price was most recently an Assistant Principal at McNeal Elementary from 2010-2014. She also taught Second and Third Grade at McNeal from 2008-2010.

Rogers Garden Elementary: Latrina Singleton – Ms. Singleton was most recently an Assistant Principal at Palmetto Elementary from 2011-2014. Prior to that, she served as an International Baccalaureate Teacher at Brookside Middle in Sarasota from 2010-2011.

Stewart Elementary: Ruby Zickafoose – Ms. Zickafoose was most recently an Assistant Principal at Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary from 2013-2014. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Principal at Wakeland Elementary from 2011-2013.

Palmetto Elementary: Dr. Michelle Mealor – Dr. Mealor was most recently an Assistant Principal at Stenstrom Elementary in Seminole County from 2012-2014. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Principal at Wekiva Elementary in Seminole County from 2010-2012.

Middle School

Buffalo Creek Middle: Tony Losada – Mr. Losada was most recently an Assistant Principal at Manatee High from 2012-2014. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Principal at Braden River High from 2007-2012.

Harllee Middle: Nancy Farley – Ms. Farley is a retired Principal/Administrator from Indiana. She served in the Anderson Community School Corporation in Anderson, Indiana, from 2002 – 2013, in the following positions: Principal Highland Junior High, 2011-2013; Director of Student Services, Programs and Grants; Director of Title I Transportation; Elementary Principal.

Lee Middle: Scott Cooper – Mr. Cooper was most recently an Assistant Principal at Bayshore High from 2010-2014. Prior to that, he served as Principal of Buffalo Creek Middle and as an Assistant Principal at Southeast High School.

Sugg Middle: Darlene Proue – Ms. Proue was most recently an Assistant Principal at North Marion High in Marion County during the 2013-2014 school year. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Principal at Lake Weir High in Marion County from 2010-2013.

High School

Lakewood Ranch High: Dr. Justin Terry – Dr. Terry was most recently the Director of Academic and Career Connections in the Wylie Independent School District in Wylie, Texas, during the 2013-2014 school year. Prior to that, Dr. Terry served as a Junior High Principal in the Wylie District from 2010-2013, and as a High School Associate/Assistant Principal in the Wylie District from 2006-2010.

Each candidate for a principal position interviewed with a committee consisting of district officials and current principals. Three finalists were selected for each open position and those finalists participated in a School Community Forum at their assigned schools to meet and generate input and feedback from the school faculties and staff as well as students, parents and community members. That input and feedback was provided to Superintendent Mills and Dr. Greene who made the final recommendations for each position.

“We are very excited about the quality of principals we are putting in place to lead our schools,” Superintendent Rick Mills said. “They have the experience, talent, passion and dedication we are looking for in our school leaders. Working together, we expect great results from all of our schools.”