Minuteman High School has a new Principal.
John “Jack” Dillon III, who has been serving as the school’s Interim Principal for the past four months and was the school’s Assistant Principal for nine years before that, was selected by Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Minuteman’s Superintendent-Director. The appointment was announced on Friday.
“I have all the confidence in Jack to be the educational leader of the school moving forward at a critical time in the school’s history,” said Dr. Bouquillon in announcing the appointment. In total, more than 125 people attended interviews, offered opinions, or completed evaluation forms of the candidates, he added.
Dr. Bouquillon described the selection process as “rigorous” and said that it had involved input from all aspects of the Minuteman community, including parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and the school committee.
“I’ve wanted to be a Principal since I was in high school,” said Mr. Dillon. “As a goal oriented person, it’s something I’ve always focused on and I’m very happy it’s finally become a reality.”
“Minuteman is a great school and I’m very proud of the staff and students here,” he said. “The next year will be very important for us as we try to promote a building project. It’s a herculean effort and I’m committed to working with our superintendent and our communities to help make it happen.”
Most recently, Mr. Dillon served as Assistant Principal of Education Services at Minuteman. Among other things, he was responsible for reaching out to seventh- and eighth-grade students in the district’s 16 member communities to make them aware of the high-quality vocational technical education available at Minuteman. Annually, he met with and interviewed hundreds of potential applicants.
Mr. Dillon has worked in education for 25 years. Before working at Minuteman, he served as Assistant Principal at Maynard High School and as a health teacher and acting Assistant Principal at Burlington High School.
He earned a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College. He holds a B.S. in Education from Bridgewater State University.
He is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to serve as a Principal or Assistant Principal.
Thirty-four persons applied for the Principal’s position.
Mr. Dillon succeeds Ernest F. Houle, who was appointed Superintendent-Director at Assabet Regional Vocational Technical High School in Marlborough.
Mr. Dillon lives in Woburn. He is married and has two sons, ages 8 and 10.
Minuteman is a public, award-winning regional high school located in Lexington. It offers students a career and technical education in 19 majors – coupled with a rigorous academic program, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
The school and its success have been featured in a host of state and national media outlets, including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and National Public Radio (NPR).
The school is governed by a 16-member School Committee consisting of representatives from each of its member towns: Acton, Arlington, Belmont, Bolton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Dover, Lancaster, Lincoln, Lexington, Needham, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston.
Submitted by Steven C. Sharek for Minuteman High School
