Two principals are “going home” after the Botetourt School Board and Roanoke County School Board made appointments this week.
Lord Botetourt High School will be familiar territory for that school’s new principal.
Janet L. Jones Womack is a 1990 LBHS graduate, taught at the school, is a Botetourt native and still a county resident.
Tammy Newcomb was named the new principal at William Byrd Middle School to replace Womack. Like Womack, Newcomb will be back on familiar turf.
Newcomb began her tenure at Roanoke County Public Schools in 1991 as a teacher at WBMS where she taught English and math for 12 years. She’s also a William Byrd High School graduate. In 2003, she was named the assistant principal at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School, and two years later, Newcomb became the principal at Green Valley Elementary School.
Womack was appointed Lord Botetourt’s first woman principal Thursday night during the Botetourt School Board’s regular July meeting and was on the job at the school Friday.
Womack has served as principal of William Byrd Middle School in Vinton the past four years, according to Botetourt’s school administration.
Prior to her appointment to WBMS, she served as assistant principal at Glenvar High School, also in Roanoke County. She began her teaching career at LBHS where she served as a mathematics teacher and department chair.
Womack succeeds Tim Baine who was reassigned by the school division last month. School Superintendent Dr. Tony Brads served as interim principal until Thursday night’s appointment.
Botetourt School Board Chair and Fincastle District representative Jack Leffel said the board was very pleased to be able to approve this recommendation from the superintendent.
He added that the applicant was “a testament to the quality of the school division to bring home one of our own.”
Brads added that he looks forward to working with Womack as the principal of LBHS and expects a smooth transition with Womack at the helm.
Janet was an excellent principal at WBHS. We’re sad to see her leave Roanoke County and we wish her all the best at Lord Botetourt,” said Roanoke County Superintendent Dr. Lorraine Lange said.
Womack and her husband reside in Botetourt County.
Newcomb holds a Bachelor’s degree from Radford University and a Masters Degree from Virginia Tech.
““Tammy has been an outstanding principal at Green Valley and, with her leadership, the school consistently has seen excellent performance on assessment tests,” said Lange. “I’m pleased she is bringing her expertise back to the William Byrd community,” Lange added.
