By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education appointed principals for Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill high schools last week.
Board members named Eileen Tully, principal of Phillips Middle School, as principal of East Chapel Hill High School and Jesse Dingle, a staff member at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, as principal of Chapel Hill High School.
Tully has been principal at Phillips since 2004 and previously was assistant principal at two middle schools in Roanoke, Va.
“I’m looking forward to joining such a fabulous school community,†she said.
Tully added that because the vast majority of Phillips students move on to East Chapel Hill High, she will already know many of her students.
“I’m familiar with about half the student body and the parents already, so that is marvelous,†she said. “I’m really excited to be able to continue my relationship with the Phillips community.â€
However, she added, she will miss her work at Phillips.
“I’m very excited about the personal and professional growth I will have by moving to high school, but certainly there’s something very exciting and energizing about middle schoolers, and I’ll miss that,†she said.
Tully holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in school administration from the University of Virginia.
She replaces Dave Thaden, who will retire at the end of the school year after serving as the sole principal at East Chapel Hill High since it opened in 1996.
Dingle is the director of Talent Management and Development at the state Department of Public Instruction and has previously served as principal, assistant principal and teacher in Wake County Schools. He said he looked forward to maintaining the strong tradition at Chapel Hill High.
“Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have such a strong tradition academically, in athletics, in fine arts,†he said. “I’ve heard over the years all the good things that happen in Chapel Hill-Carrboro…. You don’t get an opportunity to be a principal in Chapel Hill-Carrboro very often.â€
He added that he hopes to have a smooth transition into the school and cited goals of eliminating the achievement gap and preparing students for 21st-century learning.
Dingle holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in school administration from UNC and a doctoral degree in education administration from N.C. State University.
He replaces Jacqueline Ellis, who left the district in March to serve as assistant superintendent for human resources in Durham Public Schools. Ellis served as principal at Chapel Hill High since 2007.
Both Tully and Dingle will start work on July 1.