by Rob Glidden
Staff Writer
With the current school year winding down, the Board of Education filled two important administrative positions for next year, appointing Marilyn Kahl as the new principal of Kelley Elementary School and Michael Halloran as the newest assistant principal at Southington High School.
“You both came from rich pools of candidates and rose to the top,” said Chairman Brian Goralski. “We look forward to your work in Southington.”
Surrounded by family members and given a standing ovation by the meeting’s attendees, the new administrators thanked the school leaders during brief remarks.
Kahl has been serving as the assistant principal at Derynoski Elementary School for the last two years. Before that, she had worked for 16 years as a teacher at Cheshire’s Highland Elementary School.
“The last two years have been so rewarding and I’m looking forward to this new professional challenge,” she said. “It’s really an honor, although I am sad to leave Derynoski.”
Kelley has a much smaller student population than Derynoski, and Kahl said this would help her eventually learn all the student’s names and spend more time in the classrooms. She is replacing longtime principal Elizabeth Lutz, who Kahl described as a leader with “huge dedication.”
Halloran, a Southington native, has been the principal of the CREC Polaris Center in East Hartford since 2009. Before that, he held a variety of administrative positions in Hartford schools. He said he was excited by the chance to participate in Southington’s school system, which he greatly admires.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be able to serve my community,” Halloran said. “I’m very much looking forward to the tremendous opportunities that come with this position.”
Now one of four assistant principals at the high school, Halloran will replace the retiring Andrew Bayer, who has held the position for over a decade.
Both new administrators will start on July 1.
Marilyn Kahl
Michael Halloran