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4 schools in area get new leaders

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

cpastor@tampatrib.com

Published: August 19, 2009

TAMPA - New principals will welcome students back to four area schools.

The Hillsborough County school district made leadership changes because of retirements and transfers this summer at McKitrick Elementary, Lake Magdalene Elementary, Walker Middle and Gaither High.

McKitrick lost its first and only principal, Lisa Yost, when the district promoted her to an area director position.

The school district planned to appoint her replacement Tuesday.

At Lake Magdalene, Dodi Davenport will take over for Darlene Choe, who retired. Davenport worked at Lake Magdalene from 1998 to 2004 as an administrative resource teacher.

A district employee since 1990, she spent the past five years as assistant principal at Roland Park K-8.

Joseph Brown, a 20-year district employee, is taking over for Kathleen Hoffman at Walker Middle. Hoffman retired in June after three years at Walker.

Brown comes from Franklin Middle Magnet, where he was principal since 2006. Prior to that, he served as principal at Monroe Middle for four years.

Gaither, meanwhile, is on its third principal since the spring.

Brenda Grasso, who started as Gaither's assistant principal in 1997 before assuming the principal role in 2003, left in April to prepare Steinbrenner High for opening.

George Fekete was the assistant principal at Hillsborough High when the district tapped him to lead Gaither.

But Fekete decided to return to an assistant principal position and wound up swapping jobs with Marie Whelan at Middleton.

Whelan had been assistant principal for Middleton High School's magnet curriculum. Fekete replaced her, and she went to Gaither.

Whelan is no stranger to Gaither. She worked at the Northdale high school for nine years, first as a teacher and later as a human resources specialist and student intervention specialist.

She moved to Middleton in 2004.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (727) 451-2343.

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