Nahant expands principal search

NAHANT-There are two finalists for the principal position at Johnson Elementary School.Barbara McKinley, assistant principal at Page Elementary School in West Newbury and Diane Mulcahy, who is employed at Welch Elementary School in Peabody are the two finalists.Interim Superintendent Joseph Lisi said both candidates are very well qualified and he expects to hire a new principal sometime in January.Lisi said the district had approximately 20 applicants for the position and the search committee narrowed the list to six candidates before selecting the two finalists.In August, retired Johnson math teacher Diana Hennessey agreed to serve as interim principal until the school could find a replacement for Denise Littlefield.Littlefield was hired as superintendent/principal in July 2005 and she served as principal of Johnson Elementary School for several years prior to that. Her sudden resignation followed a negative job performance evaluation by the School Committee.