BEVERLY — Kevin Cushman, former principal of Machon School in Swampscott, is coming out of retirement to lead St. Mary Star of the Sea School.
Cushman, a Danvers resident, will take over in July from Patricia Diglio, who announced her resignation in December after four years as principal.
The Catholic school, downtown on Chapman Street, has about 175 students in prekindergarten through grade eight. Tuition ranges from $4,200 to $4,475.
Cushman said he's looking forward to presiding over educations that are steeped in faith as much as curriculum. Although he worked for the Swampscott public schools for 10 years, his two sons attended Catholic schools — St. John's Prep and Austin Prep — and went on to study at Catholic colleges, Emmanuel College in Boston and Providence College in Rhode Island.
"It's an opportunity to give back," he said. "My children received an amazing educational experience, and I'm far too active to be inactive. This is something I don't have to do, but it's something I want to do."
Cushman retired last year when Machon Elementary School closed due to budget cuts. While he was principal, in 2004, the state designated Machon as a Compass School, which means it was considered a model for other schools in the commonwealth.
Now, Cushman said he's not used to having so much time to himself.
He joked — sort of — that over the winter he painted every room in the house. He and his wife discussed his finding a hobby — golf or fishing, perhaps — but ultimately he decided to go back to school.
"I retired because I could retire," he said, "but I love kids."
A principal search committee received between 20 and 30 applications, interviewed about 10 candidates, narrowed it down to three, and chose Cushman. Parent and committee member Jamie Silvestri said Cushman's dynamic and engaging personality made him stand out.
"The principal really is the public face of a school," Silvestri said.
Cushman's experience in public schools, coupled with his understanding of a Catholic education, has the potential to bring new ideas to St. Mary's, Silvestri said. And Machon's designation as a Compass School shows Cushman's knowledge of improving curriculum by linking together materials in each grade — something St. Mary's wants to do, Silvestri said. He also commended Cushman for his ability to listen and communicate with the St. Mary's community.
Cushman met with parents for the first time last week and is planning evenings in August with parents, teachers and staff to hear what they feel the most important needs are at the school. He will focus on those needs, he said, moving forward.
"That way it's not my vision," Cushman said. "It's a shared vision."
