Diocese Names New Principals For Two Catholic Elementary Schools

Two elementary schools in the Catholic Diocese of Evansville will have new principals next school year.

Samantha McClure was named the new principal of Flaget Elementary School in Vincennes, and Kelsi Edwards will serve as the next principal of Washington Catholic Elementary School in Washington. Both women start their new roles on July 1.

The elementary school communities learned of their new principals last week after official announcements.

McClure said she is excited to start her adventure with the diocese as the next principal of Flaget.

“Having grown up in St. Francis Xavier Parish, the school community of Flaget is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “The staffs at Flaget and the diocese have welcomed me with open arms, and I look forward to working with them, the families of Flaget, and other community and parish members to serve our students and provide the best spiritual and academic education possible.”

Flaget’s current principal, Lori Wissel, accepted a science position at Rivet Middle/High School.

McClure is currently a general education teacher at Parkside Elementary School in Lawrenceville, Illinois, where she has taught since August 2013.

McClure earned her master of education in educational leadership and administration from Eastern Illinois University in May 2017. Her undergraduate degree in elementary education, with a minor in middle school math, is from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which she completed in May 2013.

Flaget Elementary is a prekindergarten-through-fifth-grade school. The current enrollment is about 270 students. The school earned a “B” accountability grade from the Indiana Department of Education for the 2018-19 school year.

Edwards said she is thrilled to join Washington Catholic Elementary School.

“I look forward to the role I will play in serving the ministry of Our Lady of Hope Parish through the work I will do with our students, faculty and families,” she said.

Currently, Edwards is a special-education-resource teacher at Lena Dunn Elementary School in Washington. She has served in that role since August 2017. Before that, Edwards spent about five years as a first grade teacher at Washington Catholic Elementary from August 2012 through May 2017.

Edwards earned her undergraduate degree in special education mild intervention from Vincennes University.

Washington Catholic Elementary has a current enrollment around 318 students. The prekindergarten through fifth grade school earned an “A” accountability grade from the Indiana Department of Education for the 2017-18 school year.