By Ari Howorth
Arts Editor
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District announced on June 6 that current Culver City High School Assistant Principal Ian Drummond would be the new vice principal for Mira Costa, replacing Paula Hart for the 2012-13 school year.
Hart announced on March 8 that she will be stepping down from her vice principal position and will teach biology instead. Since then, a panel of teachers and administrators has chosen a replacement.
“The interview panel felt confident that we made the right choice,” Vice Principal Jaime Mancilla said. “Drummond’s qualities will be a positive contribution.”
Drummond left Costa in 2009 after working as an English teacher for 10 years.
“Drummond was a fantastic teacher who made class exciting while maintaining control,” senior Gavin Jernigan said. “He inspired me and was a great role model.”
Drummond is confident that he has gained skills in the last three years as an administrator at Culver City High School that will help him upon his return.
“I’ve always said that it was hard to leave Mira Costa,” Drummond said. “I would not have left if it was not for a career advancement at Culver City. I’m excited to return to Costa for the upcoming year.”
For the panel, various qualities set Drummond apart as the right choice.
“He’s an experienced educator,” Principal Dr. Ben Dale said. “He has demonstrated success in the classroom and more.”
Administrators are still searching for a new athletic director to take Hart’s position. They expect to announce the new director at the June 20 school board meeting.
“We had four candidates in round two of the interviews,” Dale said. “We narrowed it down to two from the original 25.”
Drummond’s contract has him stepping in to the new position on July 1, the day Hart’s contract terminates.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back next year,” Drummond said. “I had great experiences and really feel connected to Mira Costa.”
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