Board Hires New Principal for Glen Rock's Central School

The community in Glen Rock is hoping the board's new principal hire on Monday night of top administrators at the S. Maple Ave. elementary school.

The school board unanimously approved the hire of Krista Lee LaCroix, currently a supervisor of instruction at Hartshorn Elementary School in Millburn.

LaCroix has been a long-term faculty member of Hartshorn, with eleven years at the school. She will be paid $117,992 and will start on July 1, 2012, said Glen Rock school board president Rona McNabola.

"The first thing of course that struck is us someone with long-term goals," McNabola said. "She worked with the principal in her building and was the supervisor for math though her background is in language arts."

LaCroix is , who announced he was leaving the district in March to take over the elementary school he attended as a student in Ramsey. Matteo was the fourth principal in five years at Central.

The newly-selected principal was the leading candidate in the screening committees, which comprise of administrators and representatives of the HSA. She was the only candidate interviewed by the school board.

"She's had a lot of the responsibilities a principal has, so it didn't bother us she isn't a sitting principal," McNabola said of LaCroix. "We all do feel she has fantastic potential to be a successful principal in Glen Rock."

Although she's not necessarily confident LaCroix will be at Central School for a long time, McNabola remains hopeful.

"You always just have to feel that you're hiring the best person for the job in the hope it's a long-term relationship," she said.

McNabola said LaCroix will be familiarizing herself with district staff before taking over as principal on July 1.

Glen Rock Superintendent of Schools David Verducci, who recommended the hire, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.