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BARBARA BEHRENDTThe superintendent recommends Citrus Springs' No. 2, and a West Virginia educator for Lecanto Primary.
INVERNESS - One local assistant principal and a principal from a small school in West Virginia will be recommended to replace two retiring Citrus elementary school principals at today's School Board meeting.
Superintendent David Hickey will recommend that Citrus Springs Elementary School assistant principal Cicely Thomas replace her boss, Lane Vick, as Vick retires at the end of this school year. Retiring Lecanto Primary School principal Steve Guyler would be replaced by Robert Snider II, who is currently principal of Mason-Dixon Elementary School in Blacksville, W.Va.
Hickey said he was pleased with both of the picks and he looked forward to them becoming successful principals in the district. The School Board must approve Hickey's recommendations.
Thomas, 57, is a 20-year educator who has worked as assistant principal at Citrus Springs since 1998. Before that, she served as the curriculum specialist at Lecanto Primary School. And prior to that, she was a gifted education teacher at the school.
"It's an exciting day," said Thomas, who estimated that she had received 100 e-mails of congratulations from her colleagues in the school district on Monday.
"It's been a dream of mine for probably the last 10 or 12 years, a real culmination of a long journey," she said. "I'm looking forward to taking up where Lane Vick has left off."
Thomas said she has also been thrilled with the support she has received from her faculty and staff. When she interviewed for the job last week, she said, she felt that they were all sitting there with her. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling," Thomas said.
She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Florida State University, her master's from the University of South Florida and her education specialist's degree in educational leadership from the University of Florida.
"She is a quality person who will do a quality job," Hickey said.
Snider, 56, is retiring from the Monongalia school district but he had no real intention of retiring. Instead, he said he looks forward to working in the Florida public schools.
He had been interested in moving to Florida and has family in the county, so he was excited when he saw the principalship opening on the district's Web site. Snider said finding the position is something that was "meant to be" and he looked forward to working with the school's staff.
"I've been here for 32 years, and I'm looking forward to continuing to serve staff and students in an elementary setting," Snider said. He earned his bachelor's degree from Fairmont State College and his master's degree from West Virginia University.
Hickey said Snider has a wide background in various educational areas and years of experience as an elementary school principal. "We hope he's going to be a pleasant addition to our administrative staff," he said.
- Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or 564-3621.