April Partin has been appointed principal of Lonsdale Elementary School effective July 2019. She has been principal at Shannondale School since 2018 and was an assistant principal at Karns Elementary.
Partin joined Knox County Schools in 2001 as a teacher at A.L. Lotts Elementary. She taught several years at A.L. Lotts and served as a lead teacher. In 2012, she was appointed assistant principal at A.L. Lotts. She also served as an assistant principal at Green Magnet Academy.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s in elementary education, both from the University of Tennessee. She also holds an education specialist degree in administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University and an education specialist degree in educational leadership and policy studies from UT.
Renee Rupeka is the new principal at Shannondale Elementary. She has been assistant principal at Fountain City Elementary since 2014 and previously taught at Shannondale. She joined KCS in 1999 as a teacher at Belle Morris Elementary.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in elementary education, both from UT. She earned an education specialist degree in administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.
Carl Whipple has been appointed principal of West Haven Elementary School. He currently is assistant principal at Northshore Elementary. Whipple joined KCS in 1998 as a teacher at Vine Middle.
Whipple also worked at Darlington School in Georgia and at Webb School of Knoxville. He became assistant principal at Norwood Elementary in 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Davidson College in North Carolina. He earned a master’s in music education and an education specialist degree in leadership and administration, both from UT.