Cape Hatteras Secondary School

The Dare County Board of Education has made three new administrative appointments at Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies for the 2009-2010 school year. At its meeting on May 12, the board learned of the resignation of CHSS Principal Dr. Louis Tonelson, who will retire June 30 after serving in the position since 2006.Superintendent Sue Burgess recommended a new organizational plan for the school’s administrative staff. Jean Taylor will serve as principal for grades nine through 12. Beth Rooks will serve as principal for grades six through eight. The assistant principal for the school will be David Guiley. Jean Taylor has worked at Cape Hatteras High School since 1996, serving for nine years in the Career Development Program and working as a Special Populations Coordinator. For the last four years, she has served as assistant principal at the school. Prior to coming to Dare County, Taylor taught for three years at Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., and for nine years at Park View Senior High School in South Hill, Va.Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree at Longwood College and her master’s degree at Virginia Tech. She received an educational specialist degree in administration and supervision from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Mass.Beth Rooks is completing her first year as an assistant principal at Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies. From 2006 to 2008, she was assistant principal at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School in Suffolk, Va.Rooks began her teaching career in Wake County Schools immediately after graduation from Meredith College in Raleigh. Subsequently, she moved to Suffolk where she taught for eight years before being promoted to assistant principal. Mrs. Rooks earned her master’s degree in administration and supervision at Old Dominion University.David Guiley has worked for Dare County Schools for 24 years. He was an English teacher and coach at Manteo High School from 1985 to 2005. In 2005-2006, he served as a student accountability specialist for the school district. For the past three years, Guiley has been an administrative intern at Manteo High School and First Flight Middle School. Guiley earned his bachelor’s degree at the College of Wooster and his master’s degree in school administration at East Carolina University. “I was saddened to learn that Dr. Tonelson had decided to retire,” stated Sue Burgess, “but I greatly appreciate his contributions to the school system and community over the past three years.”