The Montgomery County school board approved Thursday several appointments for school principals, including for Quince Orchard and Montgomery Blair high schools.
In a 6-2 vote, the school board appointed Irinia LaGrange to be the principal Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg. LaGrange currently serves as the director of college and career readiness and districtwide programs for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Board members Rita Montoya and Grace Rivera-Oven voted against the appointment, but didn’t explain why during the board meeting. LaGrange formerly served as the principal of Tilden Middle School in Rockville.
Beth Thomas, the former Quince Orchard principal, announced her retirement from the school principal role in October, according to the school’s student newspaper The Prowler.
The school board unanimously voted to appoint Damon Monteleone, the current associate superintendent of the MCPS Office of Well-Being and Student Services, to serve as the principal of Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. According to Monteleone’s LinkedIn profile, he served as the assistant principal of Paint Branch High in Burtonsville from 2010 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2021, he served as the principal of Richard Montgomery in Rockville. He then served as the MCPS assistant chief of schools and then as an associate superintendent. Monteleone was a finalist for The Washington Post principal of the year in 2020 when he served as principal of Richard Montgomery.
Shanay Snead, the current principal of James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, was appointed unanimously by the board to serve as the principal of North Bethesda Middle School in Bethesda. According to the meeting, Snead has served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal intern in MCPS for the past 11 years.
The school board unanimously approved Lisa Rosado to serve as the principal of South Lake Elementary School in Gaithersburg. Rosado currently serves as the principal of Savoy Elementary School in Washington, D.C., and has served in the position since the 2017-2018, according to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) website. Rosado has 15 years of experience in education, both in the District and in Prince George’s County, according to the DCPS website.
Alejandra Olavarrieta was appointed to serve as the principal of Summit Hall Elementary School in Gaithersburg. Olavarrieta is the assistant principal at Watkins Mill Elementary in Montgomery Village. According to the meeting, Olavarrieta has worked in MCPS for the past 15 years as a teacher, assistant school administrator and assistant principal.
Loretta Woods, the current principal of Whetstone Elementary School in Gaithersburg, was appointed to serve as the principal of Burtonsville Elementary School. According to the meeting, Woods has worked in MCPS for the past 20 years as a teacher, instructional specialist, assistant principal and principal intern.
Burtonsville Elementary School broke ground on a new school building on Monday, which is expected to open during the 2026-2027 school year and the current Principal Kimberly Lloyd said during the ceremony that she is planning to retire.
