McCluskey Is The New Principal Of The Lincoln Street School In Exeter

EXETER, NH — Exeter’s Lincoln Street School will have a new principal in July.

Ryan McCluskey of Exeter, the principal of the Memorial Elementary School in Sanborn since 2018, was approved by the SAU 16 school board after being the only finalist selected to be interviewed last week.

Drew Bairstow, the school’s current principal, has agreed to lead the district’s cooperative middle school in July.

"Ryan brings a genuine level of care for children, passion for the work that improves their lives, and skills to lead a dedicated professional staff toward a shared vision for growth and development,” David Ryan, the superintendent of the district, said. “We are grateful that he has chosen to join us and continue the great progress that Lincoln Street School and SAU 16 have made in achieving our community learning goals.”

As principal, McCluskey will be responsible for leading instructional programming and teaching practices for student learning, continuing strong relationships with families and the community involvement, and managing the operations of the school including budgeting, staffing, and more, according to Ryan. The school has more than 500 students.

"As an educator, I have always been excited to work with students and play a role in their overall growth and make learning fun and meaningful, while giving students opportunities for personalization in how that growth was demonstrated and measured,” McCluskey said. “I have a strong understanding of how to support our youngest learners as well as how to best prepare students for the transition to middle school. I am heavily invested in this community and look forward to ensuring that the educational experience for students, families and the community is both fulfilling and meaningful.”

Before being the principal in Sanborn, McCluskey was an assistant principal at the regional middle school. He was also a language arts teacher for middle-schoolers for more than 11 years.

McCluskey has a Bachelor of Science degree in K-9 Education from Elmira College in New York and his Master of Arts in English at Rivier University in Nashua. He holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership which he attained from Plymouth State University. He holds an experienced educator license certificate as well as principal and elementary education, K-8, endorsements with the New Hampshire Department of Education.

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