By Rita Marshall, Special to the Times-Advocate

SEAFORTH — Retirements and new Grade 7/8 additions to two high schools have made for a long list of principal and vice-principal placements at the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) this September.

Superintendent of education, human resources Jodie Baker told trustees that new positions for administration at the new Grade 7/8 wings of South Huron District High School (SHDHS) and F.E. Madill Secondary School (FEMSS) made the list longer than usual, as did a number of retirements from elementary school principals.

Changes will affect many local schools. In Mitchell, Barry Brohman will become the new VP at Mitchell District High School (MDHS), leaving Listowel District (LDSS), while Marie Mitchell will leave her position as Grade 7/8 administrator at Goderich District (GDCI) to become vice-principal at Upper Thames Elementary School.

In Listowel, John Herbert will replace Brohman as the new VP for LDSS.

In Clinton, Anne Hathaway public school’s Joanne Knetchel replaces Gary Coursey as VP at Clinton Public School and George McEwan from GDCI replaces Laurie Langstaff as principal of CHSS.

Eleanor Salmon will become principal of GDCI while Jennifer Skelding will be the Grade 7/8 administrator at the school’s elementary wing.

Huron Centennial’s Kerry Carlyle will become the first Grade 7/8 administrator at SHDHS. Gary Coursey will become VP of Exeter Elementary School.

Tom Bishop of South Perth Central will take over the VP post at Huron Centennial. Joining Bishop will be South Perth principal Carol Rauser who will take over Huron Centennial principal duties from Debbie Johnson.

Betty Beer Vanrooy will become the principal of the newly named Bluewater Coast Elementary School.

In north Huron, Suzanne Irwin will become the Grade 7 and 8 administrator at FE Madill, while Cheryl Peach will become vice principal for the new Maitland River Elementary School (MRES), which will be housed at what used to be Turnberry Central. Alice McDowell will be principal of MRES.

Wendy Armstrong-Gibson will become principal of North Woods Elementary, while Cathy Goetz will become VP of Howick Central. Ruth Lovell moves to Sprucedale PS as principal.

Other school board notes:

Exeter upgrades

Civil work is set to begin at SHDHS and Exeter Public School this summer after the AMDSB accepted a tender from Lavis Contracting at their April 24 meeting.

The work will include fixing up the bus lane and walkways at SHDHS, creating a new basketball court for the Grade 7/8 students and adding parking on the east side of the building.

Work at Exeter PS includes improving walkways from the Exeter PS playground to the new bus drop-off area at SHDHS.