In a special session Thursday night, the Brighton Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of a new principal at Hawkins Elementary School. The new Hawkins principal is Chris McAuliffe, currently the principal at Oxbow Elementary School in the Huron Valley School District and a 20-year employee of that district. McAuliffe has also been a high school principal in the Huron Valley District and dean of students.

Brighton Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI that he’s excited about the hiring of McAuliffe, who, he says, came highly regarded in his home district. For McAuliffe’s part, he says he’s all about engaging the whole family in their child’s schooling and being proactive to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. McAuliffe is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and earned two masters’ degrees at Marygrove College. He is married to a n executive at Fiat Chrysler, and the couple has three grown daughters.

McAuliffe replaces Basia Kiehler at Hawkins - a school plagued in the past school year by student disciplinary problems. Kiehler resigned in June to accept a position in the Pinckney Community Schools as director of curriculum, assessment and instruction. Gray says he is hopeful that McAuliffe will be able to come on board in Brighton to assume his new duties in early August. (TT)