Board Names New Henry James Principal, SHS Athletic Director

At the conclusion of an intensive search, the Simsbury Board of Education voted unanimously to approve two new administrative hires to fill the rolls of Principal for Henry James Memorial School and Simsbury High School Athletic Director.

Brian J. White, currently the Assistant Principal for Sunset Ridge School Elementary Academy for Arts and World Languages, will take over as Principal for effective July 1, 2012. The board also moved to name Dane Street, currently Athletic Director for Watertown High School, as the new Simsbury High School Athletic Director also effective July 1, 2012.

The thorough selection process for school administrators involves several steps including a screening committee interview, a selection committee interview, an administrative council interview, and a board of education interview, according to Superintendent of Schools Diane Ullman.

White was selected from a pool of 24 applicants during the hiring process that began in February. White will replace Susan Homrok-Lemke who was named the new assistant superintendent for administration and human resources development for Simsbury school district.

"I'm pleased to say that Brian White did an exceptional job and is now our candidate before you this evening," Ullman said. 

In addition to serving as Assistant Principal at Sunset Ridge for the past two years, White also served as Vice Principal at Sage Park Middle School in Windsor for one year and was a social studies teacher at Sage Park for five years.

"I'm very proud to be part of such an excellent system," White told the board. "I'm looking forward to a fantastic year this fall."

Dane Street was selected from a pool of 30 applicants during the selection process that began in January.

"Dane rose to the top and really impressed every committee member and board member who was able to hear his presentation," Ullman said.

Street has served as Athletic Director for Watertown Schools for two years in addition to his roles as math teacher and as coach for two sports.

"I can already tell that the level of support here in Simsbury is tremendous from the board of [education] all the way down to the people that served on the interviewing committees and even down to some of the students that I was fortunate enough to meet the other day at the school," Street said. "I'm very excited for the opportunity, I look forward to the challenges that it brings with it."