TUSCAN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, CHS GRAD ARE FINALISTS FOR MMS PRINCIPAL

Kevin Mason

The school district is staying close to home for the next principal of Maplewood Middle School, choosing as its two finalists a former Columbia High School graduate and a current SOMA elementary school administrator.

Kevin Mason, the assistant principal of

Tuscan School, and Dara Gronau, a 1998 CHS graduate, are the finalists for the post recently vacated with the surprise resignation of Jerrill Adams.

One of them is expected to be appointed at Monday's school board meeting.

Dara Gronau

Mason and Gronau were introduced to MMS parents at a meet and greet Thursday night held in the very hot MMS library.

Mason, a former MMS science teacher, has been assistant principal at Tuscan since 2012, while Gronau, who is also in the CHS athletic hall of fame, currently serves as an administrator in Ridgewood and has experience in Newark schools.

Oddly, Gronau is also listed on the agenda for Monday's school board meeting to be appointed the new supervisor of English and Language Arts for the district.