McCrory named principal at Columbia Elementary School
In a brief meeting on July 10, the Madison Board of Education approved Mark McCrory as the new principal at Columbia Elementary School.
Mark McCrory is the new principal at Columbia Elementary School.
McCrory has been working as director of elementary and federal programs for Autauga County Schools. He previously was principal of Pine Level Elementary School in Deatsville.
“Pine Level and Columbia have a lot in common,” Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said. “Pine Level had about 1,000 students when Mark was principal and was an Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) site.”
With Deatsville’s proximity to Montgomery, state superintendent Tommy Bice brought guests to visit Pine Level as an ARI site. Gov. Robert Bentley also visited occasionally, Fowler said.
An interview team for Columbia candidates included parents and three staff members from Columbia, director of special education Dr. Maria Kilgore and elementary instruction coordinator Judy Warmath. “They took a field of 60 candidates through screening for a manageable group to interview,” Fowler said. “They presented me with two viable candidates.”
McCrory will attend the next board meeting on July 17 at 5 p.m. in the Central Office board room. His official start day is July 18.
Fowler recounted the principal shuffle that began when Dr. John Green vacated the lead slot at James Clemens High School. “From that point, Dr. Brian Clayton left Liberty Middle School for James Clemens. That path led to Nelson Brown leaving Columbia to be principal at Liberty. That path led to offering Mark McCrory the principal slot at Columbia.”
In other personnel action, three assistant principals were approved: Travis Schrimsher at James Clemens, Georgina Nelson at Madison Elementary School and Jamie Golliver at Liberty.
In other business, Mike Weaver has returned from military duty to work as Chief School Finance Officer (CSFO). Patrick Conner, who served interim CSFO, has transferred to work as Director of Operations.
Most Central Office staff members and principals were attending the administrators’ retreat at HudsonAlpha Center for Biotechnology. “Dr. Max Thompson is helping us focus in on the ‘next level,'” Fowler said. “Often with schools, you make a gain and drop back. Dr. Thompson will help energize us to go to the next level.”
