PANAMA CITY — Three new principals celebrated their first day of school Tuesday.
Janie Branstetter started as principal at St. Andrew School, Lori Hast went to work as principal at Margaret K. Lewis School (MKL) and Rhonda Woodward is at Hiland Park Elementary.
Branstetter is a former Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher and behavioral and curriculum specialist of 15 years at St. Andrew School. For nine years, she served as a district-level ESE resource teacher and staffing specialist. She was an administrative assistant at Tommy Smith Elementary before becoming principal at St. Andrew School on July 1.
Hast served as a teacher for nine years at Oakland Terrace School for the Visual Performing Arts and then as an administrative assistant at the school for two years. She became acting principal at MKL in January.
Woodward has spent 16 years at a number of Bay District Schools, including Waller Elementary, Cedar Grove Elementary, Northside Elementary and C.C. Washington Academy. She accepted her first administrative position as an administrative assistant at C.C. Washington in 2010 and moved to Northside Elementary is 2013. She became principal at Hiland Park earlier this month.
Hast and Woodward were appointed following a recommendation by Superintendent Bill Husfelt and vote of approval by the School Board, a Bay District Schools news release states. Branstetter was promoted following the retirement of St. Andrew School’s former principal Pat Weber.