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Former Foothill High School vice principal Malcolm Norrington will be returning to the Pleasanton Unified School District to serve as the 2025-26 Amador Valley High School principal, the district announced.
According to an April 18 press release, PUSD has officially appointed Norrington to the position following Thursday’s Board of Trustees closed session meeting.
“It is truly an honor to come home to a district I hold in such high regard — one that prioritizes academic excellence, equity, and community partnership,” Norrington said in the press release. He is expected to start in the role on July 1, according to district officials.
Norrington had previously left the district after accepting the principal position at El Cerrito High School in August 2023.
“I am thrilled to join the dedicated students, staff and families of Amador Valley High School, and I look forward to building upon its strong traditions while fostering a culture rooted in connection, collaboration and care,” Norrington added. “I am committed to serving with transparency, integrity, and love, and I am confident in our shared ability to ensure every student thrives.”
Norrington’s appointment comes near the end of a turbulent year for the high school after Jonathan Fey, who had served as principal of Amador Valley since 2022, unexpectedly went out on leave of absence for reasons that remain uncertain.
The Weekly has submitted public records requests to the district on the matter but those have so far turned up with little to no information on Fey’s abrupt leave.
PUSD director of communications Patrick Gannon told the Weekly on Friday afternoon that Fey’s status as a PUSD employee “has not changed”. However, Gannon confirmed that Norrington will be the new permanent principal for Amador.
Since Fey’s leave of absence, Amador Valley has seen a number of people temporarily take the helm including retired administrators such as retired Pleasanton Middle School principal John Whitney and former Amador principal Joshua Butterfield.
For the past couple of months technology services coordinator Seewing Yee Jr — who prefers to go by Jr Yee — had been serving as temporary acting principal before the district decided to search for a permanent replacement last month.
Norrington first joined the Foothill team back in 2019 after having taught English at Amador Valley. He also served as a teacher at Valley Continuation High School in Dublin, and he ran unsuccessfully for the Dublin Unified School District Trustee Area 3 during his first year as vice principal at Foothill. Before his education career, Norrington spent 13 years as a police officer.
According to the PUSD press release, Norrington’s student-centered approach to education — along with his focus on equity, communication and relationship building skills — as well as his extensive site administration experience and established relationships with families and the district are all qualities identified by the Amador community during an extensive input gathering process that made him the best suited candidate for the position.
That process involved Amador Valley staff, students and families, according to the district.
“Malcolm Norrington brings strong administrative experience and an understanding of our PUSD community that will allow him to hit the ground running at Amador,” Interim Superintendent Maurice Ghysels said in the press release. “As a former Don, I am excited for his leadership to strengthen our already stellar team at Amador Valley High School.”
