TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)- Twin Falls will see two new schools open this fall and with that two familiar faces to lead them.

Monday night the Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees picked Shari Cowger as the new principal of Rock Creek Elementary School and Nancy Murphy as the new principal of Pillar Falls Elementary School.

According to the Twin Falls School District the two schools will open to students in the fall of 2016. Funding came from the $73.8 million bond levy approved by voters in 2014. The new principals were hired before the normal hiring season to help with planning.

Cowger and Murphy will also work on hiring new staff, including 12 new teachers, for the new schools. Other staff will include support, food services, custodial and secretarial.

The district provided the following profile of the two new principals who are no strangers to the Magic Valley:

 

 

Shari Cowger (left)/Twin Falls School District
Shari Cowger (left)/Twin Falls School District
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Shari Cowger has been the principal at Oregon Trail for the past 6 years. She has worked in the Twin Falls School District as the vice principal at Oregon Trail and Perrine Elementary Schools for two years, music teacher at Oregon Trail and Lincoln, and the Migrant and Idaho Reading Indicator Summer School principal for a combined 8 years. Prior to coming to Twin Falls, Shari taught in Iowa and attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. Shari has a master’s degree in education administration for University of Idaho.

 

When asked what attracted her to the principal position at the new schools Shari said, “I’m excited for the challenge. While I love my current staff, student,s and families, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to create a new school culture and educational atmosphere for parents, teachers, and students.”

NancyMurphy_TwinFallsSchoolDistrict
Nancy Murphy/Twin Falls School District
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Nancy Murphy currently serves the TFSD as the associate principal at Sawtooth and Perrine Elementary Schools. A long time educator, Nancy has worked in Twin Falls as an instructional coach and first grade teacher at Oregon Trail.  Prior to joining the TFSD, Nancy taught kindergarten, first, and second grades in South Carolina, second grade in Utah, and fourth and second grades in Filer.

 

Nancy graduated from University of Utah with a teaching degree and Utah State and Idaho State with master’s degrees.

 

When asked what she looks forward to Nancy said, “It’s an exciting time in our district and I’m happy to be a part of it. It’s a great opportunity and a big challenge. I look forward to working with a new staff to start from the ground level to build a learning community.”

 

 

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