Acting Principal Dana Paredes was officially appointed principal of West Haven High School Tuesday night in a unanimous vote by the Board of Education.

She was previously an assistant principal, and then also stepped up to help former principal, Pamela Gardner, carry out her duties while Mrs. Gardner battled cancer for 15 months. Mrs. Gardner passed away on Oct. 25, 2018.

“My appointment is of course bittersweet,” Mrs. Paredes said. “Leading this school has been my dream for some time, but I imagined it would be when Mrs. Gardner moved up to a role such as assistant superintendent.”

Mrs. Parades said she knew that Ms. Gardner wanted her to follow in her footsteps, and that is making the transition easier.

“My first goal at this point is to see the building project through, and make sure that both students and teachers have a smooth transition to the new building,” Mrs. Paredes said. “I am also looking forward to some new programs that we will be implementing next year including the Criminal Justice Cohort, and the Teaching Assistant Honors Program.”

Last year the Connecticut Association of Schools named Mrs. Paredes Assistant Principal of the Year.