New principals start in two Manhattan Beach elementary schools
Kimberlie Linz. Photo courtesy of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District announced last week its selection of Kimberlie Linz, assistant principal of Manhattan Beach Middle School, as Pacific Elementary School’s new principal.
Linz will replace Debbie Mabry, who has served as Pacific’s principal since 2007. Mabry will succeed Dale Keldrauk, principal of Pennekamp since 1996, who retired at the end of the school year.
Linz’s appointment was approved by the MBUSD Board of Trustees earlier this month. She will start at Pacific tomorrow.
“I am thrilled to be joining a great educational community like Pacific where teachers, parents and the community work closely for the success of all students and where education is so highly valued,” Linz said. “I know from my time at Manhattan Beach Middle School how outstanding the children from Pacific are, and I look forward to becoming a part of their lives and success.”
Linz has served three years in her current position, with prior experience as an elementary school teacher, a special education teacher and a math coach.
She was one of 30 applicants for the job, eight of which interviewed by a panel of 20 teachers, staff, parents and administrators, that also reviewed writing samples from each candidate. Linz then underwent further interviews with senior administrators in the district, with a final interview with MBUSD Superintendent Mike Matthews before being recommended to the board for final approval.
“Ms. Linz has the background, the expertise and the love of children that it will take to be a successful principal in our district,” Matthews said. “She emerged from a pool of highly qualified applicants as the best candidate for our district. The fact that she already knows our district well will be an added bonus in helping her to succeed.”
John Jackson, Principal of Manhattan Beach Middle School said that Liz “will be a top notch leader of an already outstanding school.”
During Mabry’s tenure, Pacific earned top statewide school rankings and was honored as a California Distinguished School and a California Service Learning Leader School. ER