School district officials to make final choice after spring break
WEEKI WACHEE –
Applicants for the Winding Waters K-8 principal position have been narrowed to three with school officials expected to choose who will lead the school after spring break.
Two local candidates and one from Springfield, Ill., have been chosen out of 13 applications for the principal position of the new K-8 school that is currently under construction.
Bev Chapin, principal of Eastside Elementary School, and Jaime Young, assistant principal at Powell Middle School, are the two local finalists. Elizabeth Bretz, a principal/director in Springfield, Ill., is the third candidate for the principal role.
With spring break approaching next week, Superintendent Bryan Blavatt said a decision as to which of the three will lead Winding Waters K-8 will likely be made soon after employees return on Monday, March 21.
“We’ve been interviewing all three this week,” Blavatt said Thursday. “In fact, I’ll have one more here to do and then we’ll make our decision.”
Five out of the 13 applicants consisted of local applicants – four of which are assistant principals. The remaining three include:
* Robert Dill, assistant principal at Challenger K-8
* Troy Labarbara, assistant principal at Challenger K-8
* Lillian DiTucci, assistant principal at Explorer K-8
The remaining seven applicants were from Pasco County and Georgia, New York, Nevada and Wisconsin. They include:
* Iveta Maska, an assistant principal for Moon Lake Elementary School in Pasco County. She lives in Brooksville
* Paul Kirk, a former superintendent from Savannah, Ga.
* Paul Eichelkraut, a former assistant principal from Neenah, Wis.
* Deborah Rife, a former principal from St. Marys, Ga.
* Kathleen Crown, an education quality manager from Highland, N.Y.
* Nicole Campagna, a former assistant principal from Old Lyme, Conn.
* Christine Cobb, a principal from Ely, Nev.
Currently, the school is under construction and is located along U.S. 19 north of Weeki Wachee, near Weeki Wachee High School.
Last month, school board members agreed to student recommendations to name the school Winding Waters, a deviation from the space shuttle-naming theme of both Explorer K-8 and Challenger K-8.
Winding Waters is a loose translation of Weeki Wachee. The second favorite choice was “Discovery” to keep with the space shuttle naming theme.
Now a committee is gathering recommendations for a school mascot. Those names will be compiled and the top choices will be brought forward to school board members for approval.
Reporter Jeff Schmucker can be reached at 352-544-5271 or [email protected]
