Merrimack Valley hires interim high school principal

Merrimack Valley has moved quickly to hire an interim high school principal for the next school year, after current principal Shaun St. Onge announced earlier this month he would not return.

Paul Hoiriis, the current superintendent of the Newfound Area School District, will fill the role starting July 1.

Hoiriis previously served as principal of Newfound Regional High School. He announced his intention to resign from his current position earlier this month, according to reporting by the Laconia Daily Sun.

“We are confident that [Hoiriis’s] experience and collaborative approach will serve our students and staff well during this transition,” Superintendent Randy Wormald wrote in a message to the community last week.

St. Onge is departing after just one year as principal. He wrote in a letter to the community that he needed to “prioritize the best interests of my family and personal life.”

Hoiriis has been issued a contract for the 2026-27 school year, but incoming Superintendent Catherine Masterson didn’t rule out the possibility of him staying on longer.

“I can’t predict what 27/28 [school year] holds; we will consider our options next year,” Masterson wrote in an email.

If Hoiriis doesn’t stay on past the 2026-27 school year, Merrimack Valley students will ultimately experience four different principals in four years.

Last year, former principal Sam York was selected as the school administrative unit’s business administrator.

Merrimack Valley had previously solicited applications for a permanent replacement for St. Onge. The posted deadline was April 26.