"Welcome back!"
Children will see some new faces but also familiar faces when they go back to school this year. A number of Waukesha schools have new principals this year, while a few schools haven’t had changes.
Want to see who your children’s principals will be? Patch has your information.
High Schools
At South High School, Principal Michael Nowak has two new members on his administrative team – assistant principals Timothy Joynt, formerly an Oak Creek teacher, and Richard Lehman, recently an assistant principal and athletic director in Janesville.
will have a new principal with replacing Melissa Thompson, who left to become superintendent of the Swallow School District. Other administrators include assistant principals Todd Hencsik, Ryan Patt and Sharon Thiede. Patt and Thiede were new to the school in 2009.
At , the administrative team will be Principal Jody Landish, Assistant Principal Kirk Woosencraft and Assistant Principal Mitch Weber.
Middle Schools
Students will be familiar with their new principal at Butler Middle School. Tony DeRosa was promoted to principal after Sara Behrendt moved into the district administration position of the director of instruction – middle school education. A new face at Butler will be Assistant Principal Chvala Brown, formerly principal in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District.
There are no changes in principals at Central Middle School as Principal Jeff Copson and Assistant Principal Joe Beine return.
Horning Middle School will also have no changes with Principal Mark Wegner and Assistant Principal Jessica Wagner returning.
Elementary Schools
At Banting Elementary School, the district’s dual language (Spanish and English) school, will be new principal Brian Babbitts, who comes to Waukesha after serving as principal at an elementary principal in Milwaukee. In approving Babbitts for the position, school board members noted his experience in leading schools with urban challenges and his high level of Spanish proficiency.
At Bethesda Elementary, students will see the familiar face of Principal Randy Kunkel. Kunkel was appointed as principal at Bethesda in 2007.
Newly hired Principal Aida Cruz-Farin will serve at Blair Elementary. Cruz-Farin, who is bilingual, comes to Waukesha after serving as gifted and talented coordinator in the Franklin School District.
Hadfield Huskies will welcome back Principal Stacy McCoy. McCoy has been principal at since 2009.
At Hawthorne Elementary is Principal Joseph Russell, who was hired in 2009.
Principal Michael Sukawaty will be a new face for students at Heyer Elementary, however not for others in the district. Sukawaty had retired at the end of 2010 as principal at Hillcrest Elementary but now replaces Greg Deets, who retired this year as Heyer’s principal.
Hillcrest students will again have Bonnie Schlais as their principal. Schlais was new to Hillcrest last year.
Lowell leopards will welcome new principal Lori Schultz this year. Schultz comes to Waukesha from the Sun Prairie school district, where she was an elementary principal.
Students will once again have Principal Don Charpentier as their principal at Meadowbrook.
Prairie pumas will have Amy Riebel again this year. She was new to the school in 2010.
The Waukesha STEM Academy - Randall Campus will welcome Chris Kluck as their principal. Kluck was at Rose Glen last year. Ryan Krohn will return as principal at the STEM Academy, however serving only at Saratoga.
Rose Glen students will have Jill Ries as their new principal. Ries was at Whittier Elementary last year.
Whittier wildcats will have a new principal – Cynthia Gannon, formerly of Banting Elementary.
At Summit View, students will once again have Jeffrey Peterson as their principal. Peterson has been principal at Summit View since 2009.
White Rock students will have Grace Hess as their principal. Hess was an assistant principal at Waukesha South High School.
