Assistant principal Eric Keith was announced as Northwood’s next principal on May 6 and will replace Leslie Roach starting July 1.

After a field of 30 applicants was whittled down over three rounds of interviews by district office representatives and a panel of parents and staff, IUSD leadership selected Keith to replace Roach, who will serve as the district’s Executive Director of Student Support Services next school year. The decision was made after three rounds of interviews and feedback from over 150 students, staff and parents in a community survey. As principal, Keith will determine administrative priorities and communicate more directly with the campus population than he did as assistant principal. 

“I’m excited to see where we’re headed and help us move in that direction,” Keith said. “It’s a little bit different from a principal perspective—making sure that the people around me are put in positions where they can succeed and making sure we’re staying in line with the school vision, foundation and principles, but also not being afraid to try new things.”

Keith was first hired at Northwood in 2000 as a history teacher, later becoming the Humanities Department chair and a coach for the school’s tennis teams. After completing his administrative credentials, he became athletic director in 2011 and assistant principal in 2014, where he managed schedules and distance learning during the pandemic.

“It was just the logical choice,” P.E. teacher and former athletic director Dean Toohey said. “The transition for him to go from assistant principal to being a principal here, for him, will be pretty easy, because he understands what Northwood’s about and how things are here.”

According to assistant superintendent Eamonn O’Donovan, Keith was selected in part because survey respondents expressed a desire for a principal familiar with Northwood’s community who was also approachable and had experience supporting teachers, English learners and special education students. The decision was received positively by students familiar with Keith.

“I’ve been in Mr. Keith’s TA for two years now, and once we got the news that he was going to be principal next year, we were very proud of him,” sophomore Lia Nariman said. “He makes everyone feel very seen, recognized and supported in every way.”

The district is currently recruiting Keith’s replacement as assistant principal, with a decision expected by early June, according to O’Donovan.

Keith hopes to cultivate a supportive environment that encourages students to take risks while maintaining a healthy balance between academic and personal life. Aiming to continue Northwood’s current success under Roach, Keith plans to also reevaluate existing school policies, such as those related to standards-based grading, course options and artificial intelligence, while maintaining the school’s core values.

“It’s really hard for me to leave Northwood,” Roach said. “But it’s a huge relief knowing that it’s going to be in his hands. He’s so capable and dedicated that I know all the work I’ve tried to put in and things I’ve tried to do—he’ll take that and make it even better.”