Strasnick Named Woburn Street and Wildwood Principal

After more than a year without a permanent principal in place, Wilmington Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton announced a new leader for and .

Jeff Strasnick, principal of Melrose’s Horace Mann Elementary School for the last four years, will take over responsibilities in Wilmington as of July 1.

“(Strasnick’s) experience in a variety of school settings will serve him well in this new position,” said Benton in a statement. “He is an individual who is strong of character, with an outstanding work ethic.”

The position became available in March 2011 when Joel Sanderson stepped down for personal reasons. Elementary Language Arts Specialist and Title I Coordinator Jerry LaPointe took over on an interim basis.

Strasnick said he’s looking forward to a kindergarten through third grade set up, as compared to his previous experience in fourth and fifth grade, because it allows him to focus on the younger students.

“After meeting with (Wilmington officials), I went there for a site visit for a day, they came here, and I felt really welcome and thought they worked well together,” said Strasnick. “They’re working on math and technology, and those are some of the things I’m stronger in, so I thought right there is a good fit.”

Benton said the search gained momentum in January and yielded a strong group of candidates. According to the superintendent, Strasnick’s experience with technology and assessment testing were among the qualities that led to his selection.

Melrose Superintendent of Schools Joe Casey said Strasnick will leave an impact on Horace Mann Elementary School.

“Mr. Strasnick came to us from Boston, worked with the Melrose community and especially the Horace Mann community to move his school forward,” said Casey. “He helped us specifically in the areas of math and technology. We wish him well going forward and we’d like to thank him for his time and service to the youth of Melrose.”

According to Benton, the staff of the schools was excited by the news.

“Woburn Street and Wildwood have not had stability at the top for the past two years. We are excited that Jeff will be bringing his expertise to the two schools,” Benton told Wilmington Patch. “There is always a learning curve when you change positions but I am confident because Jeff is an experienced educator, he will hit the ground running.”