Driscoll Named Permanent Principal at Miles River

He’s officially dropped the “interim” title.

John Driscoll has been officially named the permanent principal at Miles River Middle School.

Interim Superintendent Peter Gray made the announcement to the School Committee on Thursday night, noting it came after meeting with the middle school faculty last week and parents earlier this week.

“I’m very pleased to say he will be here for the duration,” Gray said, adding he plans to sign a multi-year contract with Driscoll.

It is the second major personnel announcement by Gray in recent weeks. Earlier this month Gray announced that John Hughes, the interim principal at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, will remain as the school’s interim principal through the 2012-13 school year.

After Thursday night's announcement, high school Assistant Principal Bryan Menegoni said he was glad to hear about the move, adding that he feels the four administrators on the high school-middle school campus work well together – Driscoll, Hughes, Menegoni and middle school Associate Principal Christy Reynolds. And that helps with the transition from the middle school to high school, he said.

“We’re really lucky to have him,” Menegoni said.

Driscoll was named the middle school’s interim principal last summer. Gray and Driscoll both said at the time that they were interested in Driscoll being named the permanent principal and that was made official on Thursday.

Before Miles River, Driscoll was one of two assistant principals at Susan B. Anthony School in Revere. Before that, he was dean of admissions and freshman academic programs at St. John's Prep in Danvers for five years. He’s a Lynnfield native who now lives in Beverly.