Allenstown principal retiring at end of school year

For many students at the Allenstown Community School, Shannon Kruger is the only principal they have ever known.

Kruger joined the district in 2017 as the principal of the then-middle school. Three years later, she assumed the role of elementary school principal as well. Then, the town merged operations and opened the brand new K-8 school in 2024, making Kruger its inaugural leader.

Now, she will bid goodbye to Allenstown at the end of the school year as she enters retirement, and Alton educator Jaclyn Rohr will step into her role.

“I just can’t thank this community enough for the opportunities that they have afforded me to serve their children, first and foremost, and their families,” Kruger said. “It has truly been an honor to see the evolution of education in Allenstown and to get to know so many amazing people along the way who are equally committed to the community and to education and to children.”

She weathered some formidable challenges during her tenure, from the pandemic to the consolidation of the elementary and middle schools under one new roof.

“That really forced me to grow as a leader and as an administrator, and to really stretch my thinking-outside-the-box skills as we were all facing something that really no one else had faced, or no other administrators had faced prior to COVID,” she said.

Facilitating the coalescence of the K-8 school in its new building has been the “pinnacle” of her career, “to just see the joy that it has brought our students and what it has meant for their educational opportunities in terms of being able to learn and grow in a bright and healthy place that has lots of space,” she said.

Kruger didn’t begin her working years as an educator. In fact, she started out in institutional bonding before transitioning to school counseling. Once she stepped inside a school, she knew it was the place for her.

Saying farewell won’t be easy, but with a grandchild on the way and travel plans in the books, Kruger is ready.

Rohr, the current Alton Central School assistant principal, eagerly awaits the road ahead as she prepares to step into Kruger’s shoes this fall.

“I am a strong believer in building relationships with students and with their families, and helping students to grow and realize that it is really important that they have that trusted adult within the building, and that they always will have somebody who’s in their corner to support them,” Rohr said.

She’s worked as an educator for over two decades, first in Portsmouth, then Seabrook, where she taught first, second and fourth grade. Rohr spent a year as the assistant principal at Pittsfield Elementary School before joining the Alton school district in 2023.

“We believe that Ms. Rohr will bring exceptional leadership and dedication to our school community. We look forward to welcoming her and working together to support our students and staff,” SAU 53 Superintendent Jack Finley shared in a statement with the Allenstown community.

Rohr wants her future school community to know that her door will always be open to them.

“I really am hopeful that I’ll continue to be able to follow in Mrs. Kruger’s great footsteps, and really continue to support Allenstown in such a positive way, and really help all the students, no matter what grade they’re in, realize that they matter and that we are there for them and will always do what’s best for them,” Rohr said.