Riverfield School is one of four Fairfield elementary schools getting a new principal in the 2012-13 school year.

Photo Credit: File

Brenda Anziano will move from Dwight School to Riverfield next fall.

Photo Credit: Mary Dixey

Holland Hill Elementary School principal Frank Arnone will take a new job at Osborn Hill School next fall.

Photo Credit: Contributed

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Students at four Fairfield elementary schools will have new principals when they arrive for the start of the 2012-13 school year. Principals Alan Lipman, of Osborn Hill School, and Paul Toaso, of Riverfield School, will retire at the end of this school year.

Current Holland Hill Principal Frank Arnone and Dwight Principal Brenda Anziano will take their places. Fairfield’s Board of Education will begin searching for their replacements soon.

Before taking over at Holland Hill in 2005, Arnone was the principal of Greenwich’s North Mianus Elementary School. Prior to that, he was a teacher in grades 3 to 6. He also has experience running schoolwide math programs.

“Frank has a deep understanding of curriculum, instructional practices and assessment,” Superintendent David Title said of Arnone in an open letter on the district’s website. “Frank is a caring, highly motivated, strong educational leader who will be an asset to the Osborn Hill community.”

Anziano first took over at Dwight in 2004. Before that she was an assistant principal at Greens Farms Elementary School in Westport and was a third-grade teacher.

“I’m sad to leave Dwight,” she said Monday. “But I’m ready for a new extension of my career.”

"Brenda brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of our district, students, staff and programs,” Title said of Anziano. “She is a highly motivated, team-oriented educational leader. I am confident she will be an asset to the Riverfield community.”

Both Anziano and Arnone will take over larger schools next fall. Anziano will move from Fairfield’s smallest school, with just 293 students as of Jan. 2, to oversee Riverfield’s 419 pupils. Osborn Hill has the highest enrollment of all of Fairfield’s elementary schools, with 547 students as of the beginning of January. Arnone’s current post at Holland Hill has him in charge of about 200 fewer pupils.

Anziano will also have a unique challenge at Riverfield. Not only will she take on a new set of students, but she will also have to manage construction crews on her campus. The Board of Education has proposed an expansion of the school that will take place over the next two to three years.

Anziano said she worked through a similar situation while in Westport and would be ready to work with the maintenance staff to ease the effect on the students.

“I think it will be a challenge.” Anziano said. “I’m not worried about it. I think it’s going to be a good thing for the school.”

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Margaret Mary Fitzgerald will form a search committee to find candidates for replacing Arnone and Anzione at Holland Hill and Dwight. The Board of Education will begin recruiting new hires before the end of the school year.