Students at the St. Joseph High School will have a new principal next fall. St. Joseph Public Schools Superintendent Jenny Fee made the announcement to the community Wednesday morning.
Fee wrote to parents and teachers:
“The role of high school principal is complex and demands a uniquely skilled, experienced, and multi-dimensional leader. One who fulfills this position must possess a disposition for relationship building with both students and adults, a strong work ethic, adept management skills, a deep knowledge of the learning sciences, and strong instructional practice. The role also requires effective communication, collaboration, facilitation, and change management skills.
“With those qualities in mind, I am excited and proud to announce Joe Rommel as the next principal of St. Joseph High School. I asked Mr. Rommel to embrace this opportunity because I am confident from working closely with him that he is most prepared, and possesses the necessary disposition and unique combination of experience and skills to successfully embrace the significant responsibilities of the position.”
Fee noted Rommel is currently the principal of Brown Elementary where he once taught 5th grade. Prior to his current role, Mr. Rommel taught middle school at Upton, supported teachers across the county as a technology consultant with BRESA, and served as the president of the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning.
“Mr. Rommel’s transition to SJHS leaves a need to find a new leader of Brown Elementary. The process to hire the new principal of Brown School will begin immediately, with a goal to fill the position by early summer,” said Fee.
The vacancy at the high school happened when the Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education hired current SJHS Principal Greg Blomgren to serve as superintendent.
