Leon County School District Announces New Principal Appointments

News Summary

The Leon County School District has appointed new principals for the 2025-26 school year, highlighting internal promotions amidst financial challenges. Key changes include Scotty Crowe succeeding Michael Bryan at Leon High and Kerri Lamar-Anderson taking over Griffin Middle. Other appointments include Lisa Mehr at Gilchrist Elementary and Sarah Hembree at SAIL High School. The district faces financial difficulties projected to affect various educational programs, prompting discussions around community engagement and potential collaborations.

TALLAHASSEE – The Leon County School District has announced new principal appointments for the 2025-26 school year, as Superintendent Rocky Hanna presented these recommendations to the School Board. All new appointees are existing district leaders, reflecting a commitment to internal promotions amid ongoing financial challenges facing the district.

With Michael Bryan, current principal of Leon High, set to retire in June, Scotty Crowe, currently leading Gilchrist Elementary, will succeed him. Lisa Mehr, now principal at Woodville K-8 School, will take over at Gilchrist Elementary, while Cari Molinaro, who served as assistant principal at Woodville K-8 for the past year, will step into the principal role at the same school.

Following the resignation of Zelena O’Banner at Griffin Middle as part of a district investigation into financial misconduct, Kerri Lamar-Anderson has been appointed as her successor. Lamar-Anderson, who was previously principal at W.T. Moore, brings experience from her time as a teacher and dean at Griffin Middle. A new principal for W.T. Moore will be named at a later date.

Logan Crouch, a former assistant principal at Raa Middle School, will be the new principal of Cobb Middle School. In addition, Sarah Hembree, currently the director of recruitment and retention for the district, will take over as principal of SAIL High School, replacing Rhonda Blackwell-Flanagan.

Two principals have also been recognized for their leadership; Carmen Conner from Pineview Elementary and Benny Bolden, who formerly led Nims Middle School, received the Principal Leadership Award from Florida TaxWatch. Conner successfully improved Pineview Elementary’s grade from a B to an A, while Bolden guided Nims to its first B grade in 2024 before moving to district administration.

The district’s leadership changes come as Superintendent Hanna reported a challenging financial outlook during an April meeting. The district expects to lose more than $3 million due to private school scholarship programs next year and projects a decline of 481 students, while private schools are predicted to gain over 880 students.

Because of these financial difficulties, the district is considering cuts to key programs, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and career and technical education. Additionally, partnership costs with the Sheriff’s Office and other service providers have notably increased, further straining the district’s budget.

In response to these challenges, the school board has approved the formation of an advisory board for Lively Technical College. This board aims to engage the community and align institutional strategies with college goals, addressing ongoing discussions regarding a potential merger with Tallahassee State College. The advisory board will consist of stakeholders and representatives from the community, selected based on their expertise.

As part of its community engagement efforts, the school board is also planning to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Best and Brightest award by proposing to rename Branch Street to “Best and Brightest Way.” This change will require approval from the city commission before implementation.

Finally, the district welcomed Margaret Farris as the new executive director of the Foundation for Leon County Schools following the departure of Eric Clark. Farris’s experience is anticipated to play a vital role in enhancing the foundation’s impact within the community.

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New Leadership Takes Charge in Leon County Schools

Additional Resources

• Tallahassee.com: New Principal Appointments
• Wikipedia: Leon County School District
• Tallahassee.com: Florida TaxWatch Honors
• Google Search: Leon County Schools
• Tallahassee.com: Griffin Middle School Principal Resigns
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Education
• Tallahassee.com: Budget Challenges in Leon Schools
• Google News: Leon County School District