New Principal Named At Westport's Staples High School

WESTPORT, CT — The exiting principal of Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull has been named as the new principal at Westport's Staples High School, Westport school district officials announced.

Stafford Thomas Jr., who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Georgetown University with a Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies from Brown University, will replace James D'Amico who announced his resignation in March.

Thomas has held the principal post at Hillcrest since 2011, and the school was honored as Connecticut Middle School of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools for the 2018-19 school year.

"Mr. Thomas is a highly collaborative leader who is eager to begin meeting and working with members of the Staples community," said Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Abbey.

Staples High School recently was ranked the seventh best high school in Connecticut by U.S. News & World Report. In announcing Thomas' appointment, Abbey added that he is "recognized as an exceptional leader - one who has outstanding interpersonal and communication skills."

Thomas also was characterized by references as being "a highly knowledgeable, creative and resourceful leader - one who is well-respected by students, parents and staff."

In addition to the degrees from Georgetown and Brown, Thomas also holds a dual degree in law (Juris Doctor) and Educational Administration (M.Ed.) from Boston College.

Before his tenure in Trumbull, Thomas served as an administrator in Mystic, CT, and Barrington, Rhode Island, and began his career as a social studies teacher at South Side High School in Rockville, NY.

Thomas has also served as the Associate Director of Policy for the city of Providence, RI, and is currently an Adjunct Professor in the graduate school of education at Sacred Heart University where he teaches courses in education law and finance and advanced curriculum.

Among his professional associations memberships is an active post in the Tri-State Consortium, an organization devoted to evaluating high performing school districts in the Tri-State area. Additionally, in this coming school year, Thomas will serve as a member of the Board of Directors with the Connecticut Association of Schools.