One week into the school year, Framingham elementary school needs a new principal

FRAMINGHAM — Just days after the new school year started, the Brophy Elementary School is in search of a new principal, as current Principal Jessica Mandes will leave Sept. 15 for a position in Worcester.

Framingham Public Schools announced Tuesday that John Gibbons has been appointed interim principal at Brophy for the rest of the 2023-24 school year.

Mandes was named permanent principal at Brophy in March, after serving as interim since the start of the 2022-23 school year. Before that, she had worked as a vice principal at Barbieri Elementary School.

Mandes was hired as director of multilingual education for Worcester Public Schools. She is a Worcester native, and previously worked in Worcester Public Schools prior to coming to Framingham.

"My resignation is bittersweet," Mandes told the Daily News. "I truly adore the Framingham community and have always felt valued and appreciated. However, the opportunity to become director of multilingual education in the city I grew up in was something I could not turn down. I have gained a lifelong network and will always cherish the time I spent in Framingham."

Interim principal led schools in Weston for 22 years

Gibbons was a principal at Weston Public Schools from 2001-23, when he retired as principal at Weston Middle School. He worked with Framingham Superintendent of Schools Robert Tremblay when Tremblay was Weston's superintendent in 2016-17.

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"I have full confidence that Mr. Gibbons will continue to lead Brophy Elementary School in a way that places the student experience at the center of every decision, consistent with our district-wide efforts to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging in their school community," Tremblay said.

Tremblay said the district was notified that Mandes had taken the position in Worcester in early August, which did not leave enough time for the district to conduct a proper search for a new principal for the district.

"We plan on conducting a full formal search in January," the superintendent said. "This is a good promotion (for Mandes), we are grateful for her dedication to the district, and we are going to be working over the next two weeks to provide a smooth transition for everyone."

Tremblay said he met with teachers and staff last week to discuss the school's change of leadership, and the district will continue to communicate with any changes in the coming weeks.

Parents were notified that Mandes was leaving the district on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham Principal Jessica Mandes takes Worcester multilingual job