When the doors open at Morgan Hill Unified School District sites
on Aug. 22, many students returning to class will find new
administrators in the front office.
Morgan Hill – When the doors open at Morgan Hill Unified School District sites on Aug. 22, many students returning to class will find new administrators in the front office.
“Every year, if you look back, you see there’s some turnover among administrators,” District Superintendent Alan Nishino said, adding that last year Esther Corral-Carlson became the principal at P.A. Walsh Elementary School, Irene Macias-Morriss became principal at Central High School and Donna Loose became principal at Paradise Valley Elementary.
During the middle of the school year, that ended June 16, there were other district changes.
Bob Davis, former principal of Los Paseos Elementary School moved to the district office as student services coordinator.
He was replaced by former Martin Murphy Middle School Principal Rhoda Wolfskehl.
Barbara Nakasone, who was a principal under Nishino when he was superintendent in Alameda Unified School District, replaced Wolfskehl as Martin Murphy Middle School’s new principal.
Now, Nishino said, the search is on for three more principals to fill vacancies left by Russom Mesfun, who left Britton Middle School to take a job as principal at a school closer to his home in Antioch; Kathleen Masner, who retired after completing her education career with a stint as principal at El Toro Elementary; and Donna Loose, who will not be returning as principal at Paradise Valley.
“Above all, Kathleen is an encouraging listener,” School Board President Mike Hickey said of Masner when she and two retirees were honored during the June 13 board meeting. “She feeds the minds of her students … and she feeds homemade raviolis to her staff to keep them motivated.”
Hickey had to pause several times to compose himself while reading a dedication to Masner, noting that three of his children were at El Toro while Masner was principal.
Another departure that touched many in the district is the resignation of former Sobrato High Assistant Principal Caroline Caracciolo. She had been assistant principal at Martin Murphy, and many of the students at Sobrato knew her from their time at Martin Murphy.
District officials cannot comment on personnel issues, but Caracciolo said she was told she would not be assistant principal next year, so she was looking for a position outside the district.
“There’s always some change each year, for various reasons, attrition, retirement, what have you,” Nishino said. “Naturally, we wish only the best for those who will no longer be with our district. Change can be hard to adjust to, be we are looking to replace those who are gone with high caliber administrators.”
Nishino pointed out that school administrators with the longest tenures work at P.J. Foehr at San Martin/Gwinn Elementary, Lisa Atlas at Barrett Elementary and Dennis Browne at the Community Adult School.
