As the DeKalb County School System gears up for its Aug. 5 start to the 2024-2025 academic year, it has announced the appointments of 20 new principals who will lead their respective schools.
New principals will take the reins at Avondale, Bob Mathis, Briar Vista, Columbia, Dunwoody, Hawthorne, Henderson Mill, Marbut, Pine Ridge, Shadow Rock, Smoke Rise, and Woodward Elementary Schools; the International Student Center; Cedar Grove, Lithonia, Peachtree, and Stephenson Middle Schools; and Columbia, Druid Hills, and Southwest DeKalb High Schools.
“We are proud to welcome these outstanding leaders to their new roles. I am confident these principals will give their all to provide a high-quality education for the students in their buildings throughout the new school year and beyond,” DeKalb Superintendent Devon Horton said in a statement released by DCSS. “I thank each of them for accepting the responsibility to lead and anticipate the wonderful progress and achievements of their students, teachers, and staff members.”
The incoming principals, sorted alphabetically by school name, are:
• Avondale Elementary – Dr. Candace Sager
• Bob Mathis Elementary – Candace Wade-Blaise
• Briar Vista Elementary – Dyani Robinson
• Cedar Grove Middle – James Holloway
• Columbia Elementary – Candace Hardy
• Columbia High – Dr. Pammy Darden
• Druid Hills High – Dr. Michelle Stewart
• Dunwoody Elementary – Kanessa Fain
• Hawthorne Elementary – Kia Henley
• Henderson Mill Elementary – Dr. Regina Blanton
• International Student Center – Gregory Wickersham
• Lithonia Middle – Dr. Cornelius Polk
• Marbut Elementary – Dr. Tiffany Reeves
• Peachtree Middle – Dr. Jennifer Gates
• Pine Ridge Elementary – Lindsey Scott
• Shadow Rock Elementary – Dr. Fricreta Rice
• Smoke Rise Elementary – Dr. Krystye Tatum
• Southwest DeKalb High – Brandon Thompson
• Stephenson Middle – Tonya Izzard
• Woodward Elementary – Kimberly Clark
DeKalb County Schools is a public school district that serves nearly 102,000 students in grades PK-12 at 138 schools and centers. The district also employs more than14,000 full-time staff, including 6,000 teachers.
