The Board of Education on Monday approved new principals and assistant principals for the 2022-23 school year.

Veteran CCS teacher and current Dean of Students in Akron Public Schools Jennifer Stokoe will return to the district as principal of Worley Elementary School.

Stokoe taught at several CCS buildings, most recently Clarendon, before taking her first leadership role in Akron.

A resident of Canton, Stokoe said she is very happy to be coming home.

“My husband and son are McKinley grads. I have a junior at Early College. I’m very excited to be a Bulldog again,” she said.

Patrick Assistant Principal Jenae Stephens will step into the principal role at Clarendon. Stephens previously worked as a teacher/intervention specialist in CCSD for five years before becoming an assistant principal at Crenshaw, where she served for two years, followed by a year at Patrick. 

She said she has worked with some fantastic leaders and believes she is well prepared for her new position.

“I am excited to meet the students and the Clarendon community,” she said, adding, “I’m looking forward to building community. I will start by hearing the voices of all the stakeholders within the building.

Gary Trbovich Jr. will return to CCS from Alliance City Schools where he was an assistant principal at Alliance Middle School. He will be an assistant principal at Early College Middle School.

Finally, another veteran teacher, Kim Springer was named an assistant principal at Crenshaw Middle School. She is currently a Technology Resource Teacher at the AIM Academy @ Belden.

Superintendent Jeff Talbert said these new leaders come to the table with a mindset that fits the vision and mission of the Canton City Schools.

“Through the interview process, we determined that their beliefs regarding leadership and high expectations closely align with ours,” Talbert said. “I am greatly looking forward to seeing what they bring to our buildings.

Deputy Superintendent Mallory Floyd, who took part in the selection process said the district was fortunate to have strong candidates that rose to the top of the two-part interview process.

"We are pleased to have grown the next principal at Clarendon Elementary, Jenae Stephens, from our own ranks and we are happy to welcome Jen Stokoe back home to Canton City Schools as the principal at Worley Elementary," she said.

Jennifer Stokoe

Jenae Stephens

Kim Springer