Emily Mills named next Principal of W. R. McNeill Elementary

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - W. R. McNeill Elementary will have a new principal next school year.

During Thursday morning’s assembly, Superintendent Gary Fields announced that Emily Mills would take the position after the current principal, Kelli Brooks, announced plans to retire at the end of this year.

“It is always exciting to introduce a new principal. It is even more exciting that Emily Mills is being named the principal of the elementary school she attended as a student. Emily was an outstanding classroom teacher, an excellent Instructional Coach, and is now ready to lead McNeill Elementary School as its 6th principal. She believes as we all do in the Bowling Green School District, that “Excellence is Worth the Effort,” said Superintendent Gary Fields in a press release.

Emily Mills has worked at McNeill Elementary since 2008, serving as the Instructional Coach since 2019, and prior to that, teaching first grade.

“We have a great history of tradition, a great culture at McNeil,” Mills said, “I’m excited to continue and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in the future. Our schools are changing, our kids are changing. But at the end of the day, we’re here to love and teach kids and that’s certainly what I’m most excited about.”

Among many responsibilities and experiences, Mills has served on the District’s Improvement Plan Committee, the School Equity Team, School Leadership Team, and has been a Writing Cluster Leader, and Math Textbook Adoption Chair.

Mills graduated from Bowling Green High School in 2003. She has earned a Bachelor’s, Master of Arts, Elementary Math Specialist Endorsement, and Principal Certification from Western Kentucky University. She is married to Clinton Mills and has two children Brooks (10) and Ellie (7).

W. R. McNeill is currently the largest elementary school in the Bowling Green Independent School District with approximately 450 students enrolled in grades K-5.

Mills will officially begin her new position on July 1, 2023.

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