The two final candidates for the Hull High School principal position are being interviewed this week, and a decision is expected soon.
The finalists are James Dupille, who is currently the principal of Silver Lake Regional Middle School in the Silver Lake Regional School District, and Michael Knybel, who is currently serving as middle and high school principal with the Lenox Public Schools.
A search is underway for both a new principal and assistant principal at the high school following the resignation of Principal Nicole Nosek and Assistant Principal Dan Mastrogiacomo, both effective at the end of June. Nosek has accepted the position of assistant principal of Hingham High School, and Mastrogiacomo will assume the role of assistant principal at Oliver Ames High School in Easton. Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn is working with Nosek and Mastrogiacomo on a transition plan to ensure a successful HHS opening in the fall.
The principal position was posted in April, a survey sent to staff, and student meetings held to share thoughts about which qualities and qualifications would make for the best principal.
On May 19, the principal search committee – Jacobs School Principal Christine Cappadona, three parents, three teachers, two students, and Memorial Middle School Principal Hrivnak – interviewed four candidates.
Two of those were recommended for a second interview during finalist community forums held on June 6 and 7, conducted with the district’s leadership team, comprised of the superintendent, school business administrator, director of curriculum and assessment, director of student services, elementary school principal and assistant principal, and the middle school principal.
The forums were an opportunity for students, parents, caregivers, staff, school committee, and community members to provide input on the selection process.
In his cover letter, Dupille said that if chosen for the position, he would “utilize my knowledge and skills … to assist in school reforms, instructional improvements, and professional development.”
Dupille is a graduate of UMass-Lowell and Northeastern University, where he majored in education and journalism, respectively.
He has also served as the dean of curriculum and instruction for the Dover, N.H., school district; assistant principal in Nashua, N.H; a teacher in Manchester, N.H.; an aide/teacher in Watertown, Mass.; and a teacher in Boston’s Thompson’s Island Outward Bound program.
Knybel majored in educational leadership and policy analysis at East Tennessee State University and holds a bachelor of arts in music education and music performance from Westfield State College.
In his cover letter, Knybel said he has spent the last 10 years of his career “working to create a culture of rigorous academics and extracurricular activities, with a focus on interdisciplinary, project-based instruction that benefits all students.”
He has also served as East Longmeadow Public Schools high school principal and assistant principal, and as junior/senior high school assistant principal for the Ware Public Schools. He also has been the assistant principal for the Gill-Montague Regional School District, band director for the Russell County Schools in Castlewood, VA, and music director for Cathedral High School in Springfield, Mass.
