Fort Hamilton HS principal retires; replacement named

September 24, 2012 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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There is a new leader at the helm of Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, according to Councilman Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge). Gentile, an alumnus of the high school, announced on his Facebook page on Sept. 24 that the Department of Education has tapped Kaye Houlihan, who has previously served as an assistant principal at the LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts in Manhattan and at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, to serve as the interim acting principal at Fort Hamilton.

David Pena, a spokesman for the Dept. of Education, confirmed Gentile’s announcement. “Ms. Kaye Houlihan is the new interim acting principal of Fort Hamilton High School. Her first day in her new position was today,” Pena wrote in an e-mail to a reporter.

Houlihan comes to Fort Hamilton High School, at 8301 Shore Road, on the heels of the retirement of longtime principal Jo Ann Chester. Chester, who had been principal since 1999, retired suddenly, sources at the school said.

There are reports in various media outlets that the school is under investigation over the process of hiring teachers and whether teachers are owed back pay. There is also speculation that another probe is underway over suspicious student test scores.

Pena confirmed that an investigation is taking place, but would not elaborate. “The investigation is still going on,” he wrote.

Gentile wrote on Facebook that he learned of the hiring of Houlihan from the high school superintendent of the Dept. of Education. “As a proud Fort Hamilton alum, I look forward to working with her for the future of our great community,” he wrote.