TUPPER LAKE — Both schools here are in the hunt for principals.

L.P. Quinn Elementary School Principal Julia Aubrey recently announced her resignation at a Board of Education meeting, and Tupper Lake Middle-High School is looking to remove the “interim” title from its current principal, Russ Bartlett, either by hiring him outright or replacing him with someone new.

“We’re looking for strong leadership,” Superintendent Seth McGowan said. “Someone who’s in touch with what’s going on in education today and (for the L.P. Quinn job) someone with elementary experience. “The district vision is really one of community engagement, so we’ll be looking for that.”

Aubrey, before becoming principal at L.P. Quinn in July 2016, worked in the Brushton-Moira school district for 13 years, teaching kindergarten, first and fourth grades. She commuted every day from her home in Bangor, about 60 miles from Tupper Lake.

The superintendent and board hope that whoever steps into Aubrey’s shoes will become part of the Tupper Lake fabric.

“It was a personal decision,” Aubrey said. “It’s been fantastic here. I’ve learned so much from teachers, fellow administrators and the district. I’m grateful for their open doors and open hearts.

“Whoever takes over for me,” she added, “I just hope they’re in tune with the teachers and with their ideas because they have a lot of great ideas for moving the school forward.”

Aubrey’s predecessor at L.P. Quinn was Carolyn Merrihew, who taught elementary school for 26 years in the district before serving as principal for eight years, retiring in 2016.

The intended start date for the new L.P. Quinn principal is July 1. Interviews are being conducted now, and the board will be ready to make a final appointment in May. A transitional period for the new hire will continue through June.

The process for hiring a permanent principal at the middle-high school is the same as for the elementary school, the only difference being the presence of Interim Principal Bartlett. It’s unclear whether the hiring committee will choose to stick with Bartlett, who has applied for the permanent position, or look elsewhere.

“Honestly, if the committee suspects somebody will do a better job, then that’s the direction we’ll go in,” McGowan said. “As an administrator, you have to do unpopular things sometimes.”

“I’d stay until they wheel me out,” Bartlett said. “The time I’ve been here has been outstanding, and I’d love to continue it. And if that’s how the interview process ends up, that’s fantastic.”

Bartlett, who is 48, has taught in the district for 17 years, focusing on science and spending the last seven years, before becoming interim principal, as athletic director and student coordinator.

Both principal positions are expected to be filled well before the first school bell rings in September.