Pentucket Regional School District Announces Elementary School Leadership for the Next School Year

The Pentucket Regional School District is pleased to announce some reorganizing meant to give more consistency and permanence to the district’s elementary school leadership team in the coming school year.

The following changes will take effect on July 1:

• The two Merrimac schools, which have historically shared single a Principal and Assistant Principal, will have separate leaders to improve consistency and give each building a permanent leader. Principal Stephanie Dembro will lead Donaghue School, while current Merrimac Schools Assistant Principal Krista Niles will become the permanent Principal of the Sweetsir School.
• Dr. Gregg Gilligan, Interim Principal of Page School in West Newbury, has been named permanent Principal. This decision to make Dr. Gilligan the permanent principal came after interviews with parents, and teachers, as well as administrators and a School Committee member, who widely praised Dr. Gilligan’s work this year as leader at the Page School.
• The leaders of Bagnall School in Groveland will swap roles. Current Assistant Principal Jennifer Barreto will take over as Principal. Current Principal James Day will become Assistant Principal. He has signaled his intention to retire after his current contract and will spend the next three years mentoring Principal Barreto, who will be in her first principal role next year.

“We have built a exemplary leadership team in our elementary schools, and in that we are able to show consistency and continued leadership growth in our schools,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “This realignment allows all of the current leaders to remain with Pentucket with better role clarity and opportunities for continued growth in their careers.”

Superintendent Bartholomew is especially pleased with the leadership model at Bagnall in Groveland, which will allow incoming Principal Barreto, who is in her second year at Pentucket, to work alongside James Day, who has served the school for decades and has significant institutional knowledge.

“Principal Day always put the Bagnall community first, and as he enters the final years of his career in public education, he requested a role that will allow him to continue to serve our students but also to aid and empower Principal Barreto, who will benefit from his guidance in her new leadership role.”

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