1st Principal Of New Elementary School Announced In Anne Arundel County

Press release from Anne Arundel County Public Schools:

April 13, 2023

Nantucket Elementary School Principal Alexis McKay has been appointed by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell as the first principal of the new West County Elementary School, which will open in the fall of 2024.

McKay has been principal at Nantucket since 2017 and served as principal at West Annapolis Elementary School for five years prior to that. She has worked for Anne Arundel County Public Schools since 1995 and has spent all of that time at the elementary level. She embarked on a career in school administration after 13 years as a teacher, at Seven Oaks, Cape St. Claire, Annapolis, and South Shore elementary schools.

“The opportunity to open a brand new school and to build a school community from the ground up is one that does not come along often,” McKay wrote in a letter to Nantucket Elementary School families today notifying them of the move. “I am incredibly excited about this opportunity, and I believe that my work throughout our school system over the last 28 years, including the last six at Nantucket, has prepared me well for this task.”

McKay will finish the year at Nantucket and begin her new duties in July.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Alexis McKay will do a tremendous job as the first principal of West County Elementary School,” Dr. Bedell said. “She has the ability, experience, and eye for innovation to create a strong school community that will serve students and families in an outstanding manner.”

Over the next year, McKay will be responsible for, among other things, assembling the school’s staff, interacting with the community to build a new school culture, working through the process to officially name the school, and collaborating to choose school colors and a mascot.

West County Elementary School is currently under construction. Attendance boundaries for the school will be determined through the comprehensive redistricting process that is now under way.

This press release was produced by Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.