10 CMS schools get new principals this year. Who are district’s new leaders?
Ten campuses in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will have new principals this year. For all but one of them, it’s their first time in the role.
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CMS has a total of 184 schools. This school year, which begins Tuesday, there will be new principals at:
The district announced last week that Principal Susan Wills of Ardrey Kell High School, one of CMS’ biggest, will be retiring Nov. 1. The search for her replacement is still underway.
All of the new school leaders are coming to their roles from other posts within CMS, including positions as assistant principals and district leadership.
Toguchi is the new principal of Albemarle Road Elementary School in east Charlotte. Previously, she served as assistant principal at Philip O. Berry Academy of Technology for the past three school years. But it won’t be her first post at an elementary school: she previously served as assistant principal of Torrence Creek Elementary School in Huntersville before moving to Philip O. Berry.
Bryant is the new principal of the lower school at Governors’ Village STEM Academy in northeast Charlotte. The school serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade, but Bryant will only oversee the K-5 portion.
She previously served as assistant principal at Lake Wylie Elementary School. Bryant began her career teaching fourth grade in the Durham area for seven years then worked as a school counselor in Durham Public Schools and CMS for a combined nine years.
Mills is the new principal at Highland Mill Montessori School in NoDa. She has 22 years of experience in education and previously served as assistant principal of Lincoln Heights Montessori, also in CMS, for the last three school years.
Payne is the new principal at McKee Road Elementary School in south Charlotte. Previously, she served as assistant principal at the same school. Payne began her career in Union County, later coming to CMS in 2017 to teach first grade.
Ramanand is the new principal at Torrence Creek Elementary School in Huntersville. She has over 25 years of experience in education, with roles including: classroom teacher, special education teacher, diagnostician, exceptional children’s facilitator, dean of students, assistant principal, and now principal.
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Moore is the new principal at Windsor Park Elementary School in east Charlotte. She has 22 years of experience in education and previously worked as assistant principal at Montclaire Elementary School.
She’s not the only Jennifer Moore serving as a principal in CMS: The other is principal of Sedgefield Montessori and will continue in that role this school year.
Poirier is the new principal of Harding University High School in west Charlotte. He began his career at West Charlotte High School as a science teacher and has continued to serve there in various capacities for the last 14 years. Most recently, Poirier was assistant principal of instruction at West Charlotte.
Anderson is the new principal at Druid Hills Academy, which serves grades K-8 in northeast Charlotte. Prior to coming to Druid Hills, Anderson most recently served in district leadership as CMS’ director of educational leadership.
Anderson has 25 years of education experience, with roles including: classroom teacher, facilitator, instructional accountability facilitator, dean of students and assistant principal at River Oaks Academy, also in CMS.
Lyons is the new principal of North Academy of World Languages, which serves grades K-8 in Huntersville. Most recently, she worked in the CMS superintendent’s office as executive director of planning and logistics.
Lyons began her career with CMS in 2017 as a high school English teacher, later serving as an assistant principal and instructional specialist.
Palmer is the new principal at James Martin Middle School in the University City area. She is the only one of this year’s crop of new principals to have held the role before, previously serving as principal of Albemarle Road Elementary School for six years prior to transitioning to Martin.
Palmer was a finalist for CMS Principal of the Year during the 2023-24 school year.
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