Orland principal moves to Frankfort post
BY GINGER BRASHINGER Correspondent June 15, 2012 5:00PM
Updated: July 21, 2012 6:06AM
Summit Hill School District 161 in Frankfort Square has filled two of four vacant administrative positions for the 2012-13 school year.
The board approved Pam Hodgson as the new Summit Hill Junior High principal, effective July 1.
Board members Denise Wildeveld, Mary Kenny, Stacey Borges and Joy Murphy approved the hiring. Board members Denise Lenz and George Perros abstained, and Sean Doyle was absent.
Hodgson has been principal at Jerling Junior High School in Orland Park for the past four years. Prior to that, Hodgson worked 10 years in District 215 as a math teacher, dean and assistant principal at Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing. Hodgson also spent five years at Graves Junior High in Summit as a seventh-grade math teacher.
Hodgson lives in Homer Glen with her husband and two children. She said she was attracted to District 161 because it “has a strong plan in place” for moving forward.
Hodgson will replace Beth Lind as Summit Hill Junior High principal. Lind, who had been reassigned to Rogus School for next school year, resigned June 11.
Dana Wright, a 12-year veteran of District 161, has been hired as assistant principal at Hilda Walker School.
Wright taught third grade at Frankfort Square, Indian Trail and Rogus schools. She will assist incoming principal Mike Ruffalo, who was principal at Rogus School.
Christine Carey, principal of Frankfort Square, retired after eight years with the district. Carey had been reassigned to Rogus School for the 2012-13 school year after Drew School closed.
Carey and Kathy Klein, principal of Mary Drew, were scheduled to share principal duties at Rogus.
The position of assistant principal remains unfilled at Arbury Hills School.
