Familiar Faces, Different Places

As Springfield Public Schools (SPS) prepares for the start of a new school year, the District is proud to announce several key administrative and leadership changes for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.

Together, the group represents experienced educators, proven leaders, and dedicated advocates who are committed to fostering academic excellence, innovation, and student success across the district.

Please join Springfield Public Schools in welcoming these leaders to their new positions:

High School

Matt O’Reilly, Principal, Academy of Arts and Academics 

O’Reilly has been a valued member of the SPS administrative team, serving as Dean of Students at Agnes Stewart Middle School and most recently as the assistant principal at Hamlin Middle School. His leadership philosophy is grounded in the belief that all students can and will learn when provided meaningful opportunities, strong relationships, and the support necessary to succeed. He is deeply committed to building school communities that are creative, engaging, relationship-centered, and authentic for students and families.

 

Middle School

Angela Landy, Principal, Agnes Stewart Middle School 

Landy leads with steady, compassionate leadership, providing stability and support for students, staff, and families. She served as acting principal for a majority of the 2025-26 school year and will continue leading ASMS as permanent principal. Landy brings extensive middle school leadership experience, a collaborative leadership style, and a deep commitment to student success, staff development, and strong school-community partnerships.

 

 

Lonnie Usrey, Assistant Principal, Agnes Stewart Middle School 

Usrey brings a wealth of leadership experience and has been a dedicated advocate for students, families, and staff throughout his time in education, most recently supporting the Two Rivers/Dos Rios (TRDR) community. His commitment to building positive relationships, fostering student success, and supporting educators has made a lasting impact, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the middle school level. 

 

 

Betsy Johnson, Principal, Briggs Middle School 

Johnson brings a wealth of experience as an educator and instructional leader, along with a deep commitment to building strong relationships, supportive systems, and positive outcomes for students. Most recently, she served as Assistant Principal at Springfield High School, where she led student support systems, restorative practices, instructional improvement efforts, and school culture initiatives with a strong focus on equity and student success.

 

 

Andy Price, Principal, Thurston Middle School 

Price will return to Thurston Middle from Walterville Elementary, where he has served as principal for the past four years. Andy is a long-time Springfield resident who is committed to our community and to supporting students, staff, and families. He served as the TMS assistant principal from 2017-22 and brings a strong background in education and leadership, along with a genuine passion for middle school learning and student success.

 

 

Jerami Wood, Assistant Principal, Hamlin Middle School 

Wood brings extensive experience in instructional leadership, student support, and community engagement, along with a strong commitment to creating inclusive, student-centered school environments. She has served as the acting principal at Riverbend Elementary and has also served as an assistant principal at Thurston High School and teacher at Thurston Middle School. Wood is especially passionate about culturally responsive practices, restorative approaches, and creating safe, welcoming schools where every student feels connected, supported and valued. 

 

 

Elementary School

 

Calli Dean, Principal, Riverbend Elementary School 

Dean brings with her nearly two decades of dedicated service to Springfield students, schools, and families. She also has extensive experience in instructional leadership, student support, and school improvement. Dean served as the assistant principal at Centennial Elementary and has also served as an assistant principal at Maple and Springfield High. She is looking forward to leading and supporting Riverbend students and staff.

 

 

Debbie Carter, Assistant Principal, Riverbend Elementary School 

Carter is a long-standing and valued member of the SPS community, working in a variety of roles including special education teacher, teacher on special assignment, dean of students, assistant principal, and principal. She is also excited to continue improving academic outcomes and experiences for students at Riverbend.

 

 

Melissa Locke, Principal, Walterville Elementary 

Locke brings more than 20 years of experience in public education, serving as a teacher, instructional leader, assistant principal at Hamlin Middle School, principal at Winchester Elementary, and, most recently, as SPS Administrator of Federal Programs and Grants. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a commitment to student success, equitable educational opportunities, and building strong partnerships with staff, students, and families.

 

 

Administration Building

Dr. Nicole Nakayama, Director of Special Programs 

Dr. Nakayama has been a part of SPS since 2004. During her tenure, she has worked as a School Psychologist, PBIS Coach, and Special Education Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). For the past six years, she’s served as Assistant Director of Special Programs, supporting our elementary special education programming, behavior interventionists, speech therapists, health services, and our mental health partnerships. Throughout her career, Dr. Nakayama has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring high quality programming for all students, particularly those students who require complex supports.

 

 

Rebecca Kassan, Assistant Director of Special Programs

Rebecca is new to Springfield Public Schools for the 2026-27 school year, returning to Oregon after several years in Washington State where she worked as a special education state department supervisor, an ESD Director of Special Programs, and Director of Special Education for the Longview School District. Rebecca is  driven by a passion for inclusion and ensuring students with disabilities have access to general education classrooms and curriculum. Rebecca earned a M.S. in Special Education and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Portland State University.