MIDDLEBURY — Longtime Middlebury Union High School Principal William Lawson will retire at the end of this academic year.
Lawson, who took the helm of MUHS in 1995, announced his retirement plans this month in order to give Addison Central School District officials ample time to recruit his replacement. MUHS, and indeed all schools in Addison Central, are transitioning to the International Baccalaureate program. That switchover is slated to be done by next June, and Lawson realizes the importance of installing a new MUHS leader with IB experience.
“We want to make (IB) a solid part of the culture here,” Lawson said during a brief phone interview as the Independent went to press on Wednesday.
Lawson, who will turn 72 next spring, believes 2020 is the right time to leave a job he’s thoroughly enjoyed for the past quarter-century. He’s possibly the most tenured public school administrator in Addison County.
MUHS serves students in grades 9-12 from the towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.
The Independent will conduct a more in-depth retirement interview Lawson closer to his departure date.
Lawson’s announcement comes as the ACSD welcomes new principals at four of its seven elementary schools. They include Nicole Carter at Weybridge Elementary School; Heather Raabe at Cornwall’s Bingham Memorial School, Matthew Brankman at Bridport Central School, and Jen Kravitz at Middlebury’s Mary Hogan Elementary.
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected]