Ken Branch is retiring as principal of Brentwood Elementary School in North Ralegh just a few months after being named the Wake County School System's 2012 Principal of the Year.

Tonight, the school board appointed Teresa Abron, a retired principal, to be Brentwood's interim principal starting Dec. 3 and running through May 31. Board members said they were surprised by Branch's retirement.

In other principal appointments:

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The Wake County school board approved a new contract tonight for temporary superintendent Stephen Gainey and appointed two principals.

Gainey will receive an additional $3,000 a month in salary and an additional $750 a month for travel. This comes on top of the $120,000 salary he receives as assistant superintendent for human resources.

The board hired Carter Hillman to be principal of the East Wake School of Health Science in Wendell, with a salary of $90,201. The former Knightdale High School assistant principal is currently principal of Richwood High School in Summersville, W. Va.

Craig T. Matthews was named interim principal of Leesville Road Middle School in North Raleigh. He's served in various interim positions since retiring as principal of Jones Dairy Elementary in 2008.

UPDATE

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The Wake County school board appointed a principal to North Forest Pines Elementary School tonight and made several interim principal appointments.

Syreeta Smith was promoted from assistant principal to principal of North Forest Pines Elementary in Raleigh. She's been at the school since 2007 and will receive a salary of $80,788.24.

As for interim principals:

Wake County school leaders announced tonight the appointments and transfers of seven permanent and seven interim principals.

Scott Lyons was named principal of Enloe High in Raleigh with a salary of $99,666. He's been principal of Leesville Road High since 2009. He used to be an assistant principal at Enloe.

Christopher McCabe will be principal of Heritage Middle in Wake Forest with a salary of $93,303. He's been principal of North Forest Pines Drive Elementary since 2007.

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The Wake County school board appointed one permanent and five interim principals this evening.

Lisa Whitaker was named principal of Wake Early College of Health and Sciences in Raleigh with a salary of $85,659. She has been an assistant principal at Middle Creek High since 2008.

Gerald Pickett was hired to be interim principal of Enloe High in Raleigh with a salary equivalent to $127,496. He was principal of Fuquay-Varina from 2001 until he retired in 2005.

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Wake County school leaders have hired a new area superintendent and named the person who will lead a new single-sex school for male students.

On Tuesday, the school board hired Kevin Hobbs to fill the vacant position of Area Superintendent for Central Wake, covering a number of Raleigh schools in and around the Beltline. Hobbs has been the assistant superintendent for leadership and development in the Houston Independent School District since 2010.

Although Hobbs spent much of his career working in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, he was a teacher at Garner High School from 1993 to 1995. His salary will be $120,000 a year.

UPDATED TO INCLUDE HOBBS' SALARY

Amid all the tumult tonight, the Wake County school board announced two principal changes.

James Sposato was named the new principal of Wakefield Middle School in North Raleigh. Sposato has been principal of Powell Elementary School since 2003. His salary will be $83,270.

Craig Matthews was named interim principal of Rolesville Elementary. Before his retirement, Matthews had been principal of Jones Dairy and Wake Forest elementary schools. His salary is $99,980 will be prorated to cover the rest of the school year.

UPDATE

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The Wake County school board named new principals on Tuesday night for several schools.

Catherine Berry was named the new principal of Creech Road Elementary School in Garner. She's currently an assistant principal at New Hope Elementary School in Hillsborough. Her salary will be $91,591.

Mary Ellen Leach was appointed principal of Green Hope Elementary in Cary. She's been an assistant principal of Turner Creek Elementary since 2004. Her salary will be $99,659.04.

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