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Three diocesan principals are leading schools where they previously taught

Kayla Bills, principal of St. Mary's Institute in Amsterdam, welcomes back students on their first day of school. Bills is one of three principals in the Albany Diocese who are leading schools they previously taught at. (Provided photo)

There’s no feeling like going back to school. The freshly mopped floors, the bags of sharpened pencils, and the sounds of excited students echoing through the halls.

But for three Catholic school principals, this year’s return to school is extra special: Kelly Leverone at Holy Spirit School in East Greenbush; Kayla Bills at St. Mary’s Institute in Amsterdam, and Matthew Murphy at St. Mary’s School in Waterford, are all stepping up to lead the very schools they previously taught at. 

“It felt like I was the person,” said Leverone on filling her new role. “Nobody is going to love or care for Holy Spirit the way I do.” A former pre-K teacher at Holy Spirit, Leverone joined the school staff in 2008 as a middle-school religion instructor. Since, she’s donned many hats with the school, as a parent, volunteer and teacher for Holy Spirit.

“Who is going to love and care for it like I do my own children?” she said. “So it felt like a natural step. I love everything about Holy Spirit School, from teaching to helping with marketing to events, everything.”

Kelly Leverone, principal of Holy Spirit School in East Greenbush. (Emily Benson photo)

Murphy, who spent the past year as principal of Mater Christi School in Albany, is excited to return to the place he’s taught at for almost a decade. 

“It feels like home,” Murphy said. “I was here for 10 years, this community is extremely special. To be welcomed back the way that I was is extremely special.”

Murphy taught for the City School District of Albany before coming to St. Mary’s. Outside of the classroom, Murphy helped organize many clubs and student activities for his schools, and coached high school football across the Capital District. 

Matt Murphy, principal of St. Mary's School in Waterford. (Emily Benson photo)

Bills said it was an “honor bestowed upon me” to lead St. Mary’s Institute. She previously worked at Amsterdam Head Start as a kindergarten-teaching assistant and as a special-education instructor before joining SMI as a third-grade teacher in 2018.

Now, Bills hopes to use her skills in the classroom to help SMI re-implement after-school clubs, and re-connect with the local community and with alumni — initiatives that have been on the backburner since COVID.

“I have witnessed firsthand the unwavering commitment to academic excellence and the strong emphasis on intertwining religious education with our curriculum,” she said. “It is this unique combination that sets St. Mary’s Institute apart and instills in our students a deep sense of purpose, values and a strong moral compass.”

Kayla Bills, principal of St. Mary's Institute in Amsterdam. (Provided photo)

For all three Diocesan principals, the opportunity to work with their school’s community was a priority. Leverone, who first connected with Holy Spirit as a parent, knew she found a special place from day one.

“It began with my oldest son, Jacob,” she said. “I came as a parent … and I like to say I walked through those doors and I never wanted to not come back.”

Before joining Holy Spirit, Leverone was a music instructor at St. Madeleine Sophie School in Guilderland, and a teacher at St. Paul the Apostle School in Schenectady. She and her husband, Mark, have four children, all graduates of Holy Spirit.

Murphy found that “there are so many people in this community that make it so special, which is why it was so hard to not want to come back.” While Mater Christi was an “exceptional community” for Murphy, he couldn’t pass up the chance to return to the St. Mary’s family. 

“I loved it here and teaching here was such a phenomenal experience for me,” he said. “And being away for a year, and away from the teachers who are friends of mine, was beneficial cause it’s difficult to step right into that administrative role from the classroom.”

Making that step was something Leverone talked about as well. Having to lead her fellow peers, or making difficult calls for a place she loves, is not easy — but not impossible. 

“When difficult situations arise, I tell myself I might be afraid but I have the courage to do what needs to be done,” she said. “I am afraid, but I have the courage to do what’s right for the school or students or whatever the difficult things are.”

“I think hard decisions are hard no matter what their relationship is with them,” added Murphy. “I know that — for example if we’re talking about layoffs — whether I know someone for five minutes or five years, either way, that’s going to be a difficult conversation. I almost think the added benefit of having a relationship with someone here is they know you’re not just frivolously letting them go, they tend to know your character.”

Above all things, each leader wants to see their students, faculty and school community flourish. And being able to guide the place they love is all the more exciting. 

“I’m really excited for the kids to come back,” Murphy said. “There’s just something super exciting about when the kids come back to school. It’s a year of endless possibilities for them and for us. For me, it’s the opportunity to connect with kids that I taught.”

Added Leverone: “I just hope that everybody who enters the doors of Holy Spirit School knows how welcomed and loved they are, that’s our goal.”