Craig Daily Press / Elementary principal Julie Baker to serve as interim principal for 2012-13

Archive for Monday, April 16, 2012

By Bridget Manley

April 16, 2012

• Julie Baker, principal for Ridgeview and Maybell elementary schools,

has been promoted to serve as interim principal at Craig Middle

School.

• She replaces current CMS Principal Bill Toovey, who has resigned

and will leave the district June 30.

• Baker will remain at CMS for the 2012-13 school year.

• Superintendent: A search for external candidates was suspended

because Moffat County School District officials could not find

applicants with the required experience.

Moffat County School District officials have suspended their search for a permanent Craig Middle School principal and promoted another administrator to temporarily fill the position.

Julie Baker, principal of Ridgeview and Maybell elementary schools, will serve as interim CMS principal for the 2012-13 school year, Superintendent Joe Petrone said Friday.

Her experience and track record with the school district made her an ideal choice to fill the gap left by outgoing principal Bill Toovey, Petrone said.

Baker has “proven ability as a leader,” the superintendent said.

“That’s extraordinarily important to us as a school organization,” he said.

The Moffat County School Board unanimously accepted Toovey’s resignation during a February meeting. He leaves behind a career spanning more than 20 years that included stints as band director and assistant principal at CMS and Moffat County High School.

His last day is June 30.

The decision to select Baker as Toovey’s temporary replacement came after a search failed to yield a qualified candidate pool from outside the school district.

External candidates who applied for the position “didn’t have the requisite experience we’re looking for,” Petrone said.

He plans to relaunch the search next school year, he said, although the timeline is in flux.

In the meantime, school district officials will likely hire an interim administrator to fill Baker’s roles at Ridgeview and Maybell elementary schools.

“That (position) will be posted as soon as possible,” he said.

Baker, a Craig native, took the helm at Ridgeview in August 2003. Her ascent to the principal’s chair followed stints as dean of students for MCHS and Sunset Elementary School and serving as principal at the former Dinosaur Elementary School.

Petrone approached Baker about the interim position Thursday, and she showed “enthusiastic willingness” to take the wheel at CMS, he said.

“We look forward to her serving that capacity,” he said.

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