New principals named at two Manchester schools

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

Jun. 14—Familiar faces, changing places.

On Monday, Manchester school board members approved the hiring of two current district administrators as principals at Webster Elementary School and Southside Middle School.

Kelly Espinola, currently principal at Parker-Varney Elementary, will become principal at Southside. Jenny Lynch, the current assistant principal at Green Acres Elementary, will be the next principal at Webster.

Superintendent of Schools Jenn Gillis congratulated Espinola and Lynch on their new roles in the district.

"We are fortunate to have tremendous depth in leadership at our schools that allowed us to fill these positions from within," Gillis said in a statement. "Kelly and Jenny have extensive experience and connections in our community and will bring a fresh perspective to their new roles. I'm very excited for them as they take this next step in their careers."

Espinola has worked in the district for two decades, serving as a classroom teacher before spending the last seven years as an administrator. She was an assistant principal at Beech Street and Green Acres elementary schools before being named principal at Parker-Varney in 2019.

She replaces Jess Milligan, who is leaving Southside to become principal at Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown.

"I'm a proud product of Manchester schools, and I've been fortunate to spend my career building relationships with our students, staff and families across the city," Espinola said in a statement. "I've greatly appreciated my time at Parker-Varney, and I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my career. I'm eager to get to know the people who make the Southside community great."

Lynch is also a graduate of Manchester schools. She joined the district three years ago when she was named assistant principal at Green Acres.

Prior to that, Lynch spent most of her career teaching in Brookline. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Rivier College and her certificate of advanced graduate studies at New England College.

Lynch replaces Nicole Doherty, who is leaving Webster to serve as the district's new executive director of teaching and learning. Doherty is replacing Sherri Nichols, who has been hired as the next superintendent of schools in Springfield, Vt.

"I am excited and honored to have this opportunity," Lynch said in a statement. "When taking a tour with two student representatives, I immediately felt part of the school community. Webster has done some wonderful things that show how connected the staff and students are, such as the Morning Show, the recent science fair, the new mural and the Launch Pad. I look forward to working with the staff, students and the community on future endeavors."

Manchester school officials said a search will be conducted "immediately" to fill the principal position at Parker-Varney and the assistant principal position at Green Acres.

All Manchester School District job postings can be found online at https://bit.ly/MSDjobs.