These 5 Beaufort County public schools have new principals

A Beaufort County school district employee with 32 years of experience in education will replace Corey Murphy as principal of Beaufort High School and is among five new principals announced for northern Beaufort County schools.

Bonnie Almond most recently served as the district’s director of innovation, a position created by Superintendent Jeff Moss in 2015 and initially filled by Moss’ wife, who resigned a week later following public outcry.

District spokesman Jim Foster said the director of innovation position, as well as another district-level position, will be vacant for now to help offset a $570,000 budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year.

Before coming to the school district in 2013, Almond worked 10 years in North Carolina’s Lee County School District, where Moss was the superintendent. Moss’ and Almond’s time there overlapped from 2009 through 2013. She worked there for six years as a principal and assistant principal before he joined the district as superintendent.

Four other northern Beaufort County district schools will also have new principals next school year.

“This is a strong group of proven administrators who are well qualified to take on their new positions,” Moss said in a news release. “I’m confident they will all do terrific jobs.”

▪  Jennifer Morillo will take the reins at Robert Smalls International Academy. Since 2013, Morillo has served as the Beaufort County School District’s director of teaching and learning, a position that, like Almond’s, will be vacant to address the budget shortfall. Previously, she was principal at Beaufort Elementary School. Morillo replaces Nicole Holloman, who is leaving the district to take an administrative position in the Atlanta area.

▪  Freddie Lawton will take over as principal of Whale Branch Middle School. He was an assistant principal there for the past four years and previously served in assistant principal roles at Okatie and St. Helena Island elementary schools. He also taught for six years at Port Royal Elementary. Lawton is taking over for Chad Cox.

▪  Chad Cox, was named as the new principal at Battery Creek High following the retirement of Edmond Burnes. He previously held leadership positions at Whale Branch Middle School, Whale Branch Early College High School and Robert Smalls International Academy.

▪  Michelle Sackman will take the top post at Mossy Oaks Elementary School. She served as Whale Branch Elementary School’s assistant principal for the past five years. She replaces Donald Gruel, who retired this month.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "These 5 Beaufort County public schools have new principals."