Bassett Elementary principal appointed

Jim Sanfilippo

Dover Intermediate School Assistant Principal Jim Sanfilippo was appointed as the new Bassett Elementary School principal at a special meeting of the Board of Education on June 6.

Sanfilippo has served as an assistant principal in the Westlake City Schools for nine years – four years at Lee Burneson Middle School and five years at Parkside/Dover Intermediate School. Prior to coming to Westlake he also was an assistant principal at Kinsner Elementary in the Strongsville City School District, where he also taught science and special education at the elementary level.

In Westlake, Sanfilippo is part of the district Safety Committee, supervises extracurricular activities, and handles scheduling and transitioning of students from the elementary level to the intermediate school and from the intermediate level to the middle school.

Sanfilippo earned his education degree from the University of Findlay and completed graduate work at Baldwin-Wallace College and Cleveland State University.

“Jim has strong leadership experience in Westlake, along with elementary teaching experience, that makes him uniquely qualified to fulfill our mission to educate for excellence as the new principal of Bassett Elementary School,” said Superintendent Geoff Palmer. “He has built a great rapport with our parents, staff and students and has shown his dedication and commitment to the Westlake City Schools.”

Sanfilippo, who comes from a family of educators and building principals, said he is passionate about the educational excellence of the Westlake Schools and ready for the opportunity to take on a greater role in the academic success of Bassett Elementary.

“I am excited to be the educational leader of the Bassett family and look forward to having a positive impact on the excellence of each student,” Sanfilippo said.

Sanfilippo lives in Westlake with his wife, Sherry, and children, Giuseppina, 2-½, and Antonino, 10-½ months.