Natick High Principal Brian Harrigan will leave for new role in Devens

NATICK — After seven years leading Natick High School, Principal Brian Harrigan will depart at the end of the school year to take on a new role in Devens, Natick Superintendent of Schools Anna Nolin announced.

Harrigan is set to become head of school at the Francis Parker Charter School. The public secondary school is in Devens — a former Army base that's now classified as a "regional enterprise zone" comprising Ayer, Shirley and Harvard — and is open by lottery admissions to all residents of Massachusetts in grades 7-12.

Harrigan has been at the helm of Natick High School since 2015.

"It is the pull of the charter school and its mission and 400 students that pulls me, not a push away from Natick," he said in a statement included in Nolin's newsletter.

Before becoming principal at Natick High, Harrigan was assistant principal at Westwood High School. He previously served an administrative internship at Hopkinton High School and taught social studies for six years at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., among other jobs.

Nolin called herself "personally and professionally sad to lose this leader from our ranks, but we always support and grow our staff knowing they may leave us one day."

The district will announce more information about an upcoming search for a replacement and how families can be involved in the process.

Other finalists for the Devens job included Lily Rabinoff-Goldman, assistant head of school of Gann Academy in Waltham; and Leif Gustavson, dean of the College of Education, Pacific University, in Oregon.

Meanwhile, school officials are in the process of selecting a new principal for Memorial Elementary School in Natick. Twelve candidates were recently interviewed, of which seven moved forward to an interview panel of parents, teachers, support staff, a School Committee member, and Central Office staff.

Robin Welch, a longtime elementary and middle school principal who has served in Brookline, Wayland, Milton and Framingham, has been serving as interim principal. He replaced Susan Balboni, who was tapped to serve as interim director of teaching, learning and innovation.

Zane Razzaq writes about education. Reach her at 508-626-3919 or zrazzaq@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick High Principal Brian Harrigan will leave for new Devens MA job