Warren Twp. High lands new principal

Warren Township High School has a new leader for its Almond Road upperclassmen campus.

Patrick W. Keeley is leaving Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 in the South suburbs for the principal job at Gurnee-based Warren District 121. He'll start at Warren's Almond Road campus July 1.

Warren board President John Anderson said Thursday the administrative team seeking the new Almond campus principal was impressed with the variety of education jobs Keeley has held.

In addition to his experience as a principal, Keeley has been an athletic director at Oak Lawn High, an assistant principal at Rich Township High School District 227 and a certified social studies teacher.

“I think he's had a lot of good experience at the high school level,” Anderson said of Keeley.

Keeley replaces Rob Parrott as the Almond building principal. Parrott, who was elevated to the top building post in 2009, will return to his former job as Almond's assistant principal, said Anderson, who declined to elaborate on the personnel matter.

Named Oak Lawn Community High's principal in July 2009, Keeley will officially end his tenure there June 30. He said in a statement he's excited to join Warren and plans to move with his family to Lake County from Tinley Park.

“I am looking forward to meeting and working with students, staff, parents and community members,” Keeley said. “Warren Township High School is an exceptional school and I am proud and honored to be a Blue Devil.”

District 121 board members approved Keeley's hiring at a meeting Tuesday night.

In December, Jeff Brierton, who heads the O'Plaine Road campus in Gurnee for freshmen and sophomores, was named Warren's new superintendent starting with the 2012-13 academic year. Superintendent Phil Sobocinski will retire in June 2012.