Florida Catholic | New Principal Named At St. Pete Catholic High

New principal named at St. Pete Catholic High

FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF REPORT

Published: 03.07.08

ST. PETERSBURG | St. Petersburg Catholic High School is about to get a new principal. Brother Jerry Meegan, director of the diocesan Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the past nine years, will leave his current position to become principal July 1.

For Brother Meegan, a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the new position is actually the return to a former one. He spent 11 years as a high school principal and four as the Salesian province director of education. He was principal of John Bosco Tech in Boston from 1974 to 1980, and of the Salesian high school in New Rochelle, N.Y., 1980-1985. His position as provincial director of education service, which took place 1985-1989, was similar to that of a superintendent of schools.

Brother Meegan’s move comes during a time of restructuring at the high school. Leadership duties once delegated to the principal will now be split between a principal and a president. In the case of the president, another familiar name has emerged: Salesian Father Michael Conway, who served as St. Petersburg Catholic’s coordinator of campus ministry from 1999 to 2001, will take the president role.

“We’re going to a president-principal model,” Brother Meegan said. “The benefit is that this takes a heavy administrative job and divides it between two people.”

The Salesian brother said he knows running a school with about 680 students will bring its share of challenges, but he’s up to it. He plans to get acquainted with the faculty and student body and go from there.

“The challenge is to keep the faculty united as an educational team — and I really do believe in teamwork — and to see what we can do to keep the current standards, and continue to raise the standards of the school for the young people,” he said.

Brother Meegan, who for several months discerned where he was to serve, is glad his new assignment will not take him out of the Tampa Bay area.

“It’s an unexpected blessing,” he said.

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New principal named at St. Pete Catholic High

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