Palo Alto High School’s new principal will be moving down the Peninsula from her prior stint as principal of San Mateo High School when she takes office at the beginning of next month, according to a statement released to the press by the Palo Alto Unified School District.

The district announced this morning that the school board unanimously voted to appoint Jacqueline McEvoy as principal of Palo Alto High School, effective July 1.

The Paly Principal Selection Input Committee was assembled mid-April to review community and staff input on school needs, generate a list of desirable principal skills, and conduct interviews with candidates for the position. Members of the PSIC felt that McEvoy was “an exceptional educator, with knowledge and experience that matched what they sought in the next principal for Palo Alto High School,” according to the press release issued by Assistant Superintendent Scott Bowers. The PSIC played a vital role in the selection process – the committee provided direct input to the superintendent, who in turn recommended a finalist to the school board.

The decision comes only a few days behind schedule: The target date for the superintendent’s recommendation to the school board was set for June 5, according to the “Principal Selection Timeline” that was published by the district’s Human Resource Center.

A potential cause of delay in the selection process was the district’s opening for the job of superintendent, a position that Mary Frances Callan announced her resignation from earlier this year. Although her retirement was only scheduled to go into effect Aug. 30, replacements were interviewed April 27-28. However, the school board bypassed any such setback when it confirmed the appointment of Superintendent Kevin Skelly at its meeting on May 8.

“Dr. McEvoy is a great fit for PAUSD and will be a wonderful contributor to our community,” Skelly said of her appointment.

McEvoy has had ample experience as an administrator. In 1994, she was appointed principal of Peninsula High School in the San Mateo Union High School District, where she served for three years. She then went on to become the director of alternate education for three years. For the past seven years, McEvoy has served as principal of San Mateo High School, where she has worked to accomplish numerous feats.

Under her leadership, San Mateo High School underwent the school accreditation process by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and received a six-year accreditation rating (which is the maximum number of years awarded to a school) during the 05-06 school year. As a part of the process, McEvoy was responsible for identifying new school goals for the following six years.

“These goals focus on creating an academic environment where every student will be successful and be prepared to attend a four-year college upon graduation,” McEvoy stated at the beginning of the 06-07 school year in a letter addressed to parents.

As part of her plan to pursue such goals, McEvoy oversaw the implementation of an academic core for ninth and tenth graders and the execution of a seven-period day at San Mateo High.

“Our main purpose is to ensure that all students reach their full potential and have the best educational options available after high school,” McEvoy further stated in the letter.

McEvoy’s expertise also extends into the classroom. She began her career as an educator at Bishop Garcia Diego High School in Santa Barbara, teaching biology, chemistry, and physics. She later taught physics and calculus at Notre Dame High School in Belmont.

McEvoy’s credentials reinforce her qualification for the job. She earned her bachelor of arts in the biological sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She later received a masters of public administration from Notre Dame De Namur University and a doctorate in education and organization leadership from the University of San Francisco.

The vacancy for the position of principal arose when the school board announced at its meeting on March 13 that incumbent Principal Scott Laurence would be leaving Palo Alto High School at the end of this school year, to serve the district as assistant superintendent.