The Board of Education unanimously selected Sandy Hook resident Deborah Maillous-Petersen to be the new director of pupil personnel at its meeting on Tuesday, January 19.

Ms Maillous-Petersen comes to the district from the Danbury Public Schools where she served as director of special services and secondary special education supervisor before that.

As approved by the school board, Ms Maillous-Petersen will start her new position on March 14.

“As I shared with board members earlier this evening,” Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, said at the meeting, “[Ms Maillous-Petersen is] a highly regarded and highly respected director of pupil services with great experience coming into Newtown Public Schools.”

Dr Erardi said the pool of applicants for the position, which was left open after Julie Haggard took a posting in another district, was “deep.”

The superintendent also said he feels Ms Maillous-Petersen will be “an integral part of the solution” for the district.

“I’m looking forward to working in Newtown with committees, staff, and administration,” said Ms Maillous-Petersen.

Board of Education Chair Keith Alexander added that the board appreciates that she is joining the Newtown Public Schools district. “And we look forward to working with you,” he told Ms Maillous-Petersen, who was joined by family members at the meeting.