Carrboro, N.C. — The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education on Thursday named Kelly Batten as principal of Carrboro High School.

He replaces Jeff Thomas, who resigned from the district.

Batten has served as an assistant principal of Leesville Road High School in Wake County for the past six years.

Before becoming an administrator, Batten was a high school social studies teacher at Sanderson High School, also in Wake County.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in secondary education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds two master's degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill as well – one is in secondary education and the other is in school administration.

Batten was a North Carolina Teacher Fellow and Principal Fellow.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the school board appointed Priscilla Dennison as the interim math/science coordinator. This central office position became available when Darlene Ryan transferred to Glenwood Elementary as assistant principal.

Dennison has served as a peer assistance and review teacher since 2003. She previously taught science at both Culbreth and McDougle middle schools.