PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s new principal has been named.
Only a weekend after the school’s previous principal, Ty Thompson, announced he would resign from his position at the end of the school year, a replacement has already been assigned.
Michelle Kefford, who is currently the principal of Flanagan High School, will take over Thompson’s position in the upcoming school year.
On Monday morning, Broward County Public Schools announced the school’s new leader. She was introduced during a news conference, Monday afternoon.
“Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in a lot of ways, is going back home,” Kefford said. “It’s where I started my career as an educator 20 years ago. I taught biology there for six years, and it was just an amazing experience.”
Kefford said her son is a freshman at MSD.
“He was at West Lakes Middle School during the incident when he was an 8th grader. We were impacted as a family,” Kefford said.
BCPS Board Member Lori Alhadeff, who lost her daughter Alyssa Alhadeff in the February 2018 shooting, said the change is good.
“She is the Principal of the Year for the state of Florida [2019], and to have that leadership come into our community, it would help to bring the teachers and the students together for us to be able to move forward,” Alhadeff said.
Thompson was principal of MSD for six years, which includes the year of the tragic shooting.
Since the shooting took place at the high school, he has been under investigation for his handling of disciplinary actions.
BCPS officials said Thompson asked to be reassigned.
“We anticipate that he will remain in the district in some other capacity,” BCPS Superintendent Robert Runcie said.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Commission recommended the investigation to BCPS.
Thompson sent out a robocall to the MSD community which said:
“Advisors and fellow colleagues always said take care of yourself. If at any point you feel like it is affecting your family or your health, you need to make a change. My decision was not an easy one. The district is supporting me, so I can step away from my position at MSD. I will be here for the remainder of the school year (including graduation) and will be sure to do everything I can to leave the school in the best shape possible for the next principal.”
The Broward County School Board is expected to approve Kefford’s hiring in June.
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