SCARBOROUGH – Kelli Crosby has been named the interim principal at Wentworth Intermediate School in Scarborough, according to a press release issued on Tuesday by Superintendent George Entwistle.

Crosby, who currently serves as the assistant principal at Wentworth, was chosen to lead the school for the upcoming academic year following the retirement of Anne-Mayre Dexter, the longtime principal.

In the press release, Entwistle said he made the decision to appoint Crosby as the interim principal after a search committee was unsuccessful in finding a suitable candidate in time for a July 1 start date.

“Our candidate pool was not as strong as we would have desired, and we will need to engage in a second search,” Entwistle said. He said Crosby has “proven herself to be a very capable, caring and effective school leader,” which is why he’s confident she can lead the school community in its transition to a new school building this coming fall.

In addition, Entwistle has asked John Thurlow, the current principal at Blue Point School, to become the acting assistant principal at Wentworth for the new academic year.

He said Thurlow has taught at the intermediate school level and “has the organizational and technology skills that will be invaluable, particularly as we open the new, high-technology Wentworth School.”

To cover for Thurlow, Entwistle has asked Kelly Mullen-Martin to take over the leadership of Blue Point School along with her duties as principal at Pleasant Hill School. To help Mullen-Martin, Entwistle plans to hire a new assistant principal, who would be on board only for the new academic year.

“I am confident that these interim appointments will not only result in excellent school leadership and continued improvement across all our schools, but that also these three key players – Kelli, John and Kelly – will be afforded an extraordinary year of on-the-job growth and professional development,” Entwistle said in the press release.

He added, “This leadership reconfiguration allows us to tap the strengths of these three talented school leaders. I know that I will be able to count on the full support of the members of the Scarborough school community to ensure a positive and productive 2014-2015 school year.”

– Kate Irish Collins