FORT WORTH, Texas — A North Texas elementary school has hired a new principal after the sudden death of Leigh Anne Romer earlier this month, school officials announced.
Edwina West-Dukes, who was previously a principal in the Keller school district, is replacing Romer at J.C. Thompson Elementary School in the Northwest Independent School District, officials said. Romer served as the principal for 12 years before her sudden passing on July 7.
Romer died after suffering a medical emergency, district officials said. She was remembered by colleagues as a “fantastic mentor leader.”
Northwest ISD leaders in a press release say they found a leader in West-Dukes whose “ideals align” with those of Romer.
West-Dukes received her bachelor's degree at the historically Black college Prairie View A&M University. Then she went to get two master’s degrees at the University of Texas at Arlington. One of the master’s includes a Master of Education in educational leadership and policy studies, a Northwest ISD press release said.
Her educational journey began at Junior Achievement where she worked as an elementary education manager. Then she moved on to work in public education at Fort Worth ISD, where she served as the assistant coordinator of school and community partnerships, a Northwest ISD press release said.
Over the past six years, she has been the principal at Heritage Elementary School in Keller ISD. But before that role, she was the assistant principal at Keller ISD for two years and Fort Worth ISD for four years.
In the Northwest ISD press release for the announcement, West-Dukes said, “I am eager to join the JCT Trailblazer community and build upon the amazing work that Dr. Romer created in her 12 years as principal. One of my top priorities is to maintain a positive and welcoming campus culture, which motivates students and staff alike to continuously improve academically. I look forward to meeting our Trailblazer community in the coming days.”
