Hamilton-Wenham principal favorite for Marblehead slot

MARBLEHEAD – A veteran educator who currently serves as principal of the Grade 6-12 Hamilton-Wenham Regional middle and high schools is the preferred candidate for principal of the Marblehead Veterans Middle School.Incoming Superintendent of Schools Greg Maass interviewed Matthew Fox last week, along with Renata McFarland, principal of Haverhill?s Grade 6-8 Nettle Middle School, and made his choice.Acting Marblehead Superintendent Brian Salzer said Marblehead representatives will visit Hamilton-Wenham Wednesday and – if that visit supports Fox?s candidacy – Fox will be named as the next Veterans School principal officially.Maass formally begins his duties July 1 but was in Marblehead last week to interview principal candidates and tend to other matters.Salzer, who headed the search process, said Fox had experience in Hamilton-Wenham, a school district similar to Marblehead, and has had “a long-term interest in coming to Marblehead.”?He has been part of a regional school administrators? group with Libby Moore,” Salzer said. “He is familiar with the work she has done at the middle school.”Outgoing Veterans School Principal Elizabeth Moore, who is scheduled to retire from her $105,255 post June 30, conducted school tours for both candidates. She was not part of the search process, which included school staff and parents.Fox was named principal of the Hamilton-Wenham middle school in 2007 and named high school principal in February 2009 as a cost-saving measure. He previously served as principal of a combined middle and high school in Georgetown from 2003-07.He has said that being principal of Grades 7 and 8 at the Marblehead Veterans Middle School will give him a chance to focus on his true passion, middle school.