By Wendy Greenberg
Although a longtime principal is retiring, Littlebook Elementary School is welcoming an enthusiastic and experienced educator to the helm.
Incoming Littlebrook Principal Lisa Caudill, currently vice principal of Orchard Hill Elementary School in the Montgomery Township School District, is “incredibly excited to join the Littlebrook community and begin building relationships with the students, staff, and families who make the school such a special place,” she wrote in an email.
“I look forward to learning from the community, celebrating the traditions that make Littlebrook unique, and working collaboratively to continue fostering a school environment where every child feels known, valued, supported, and inspired to grow,” she continued. “I believe some of the strongest school communities are built through meaningful relationships, shared purpose, and a commitment to helping every child reach their fullest potential.”
The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education announced at its April meeting that current Littlebrook principal Luis Ramirez would be retiring at the end of this school year after nine years as principal of the school at Magnolia Lane and Littlebrook Road.
Superintendent Michael LaSusa said at the May 19 School Board meeting that “we had a pretty intense and talented group of individuals who were interested in applying for that position. We brought seven finalists forward shortly after our last Board Meeting and all of them were exceptional. Many of them were sitting principals and assistant principals in other school districts. But at the end of the day there was one individual who was a little bit more exceptional than the rest. And her name is Lisa Caudill.”
LaSusa said at the meeting that she is a someone with a “deep level of teaching experience at the elementary level, particularly the upper grades of the elementary level. She is someone who acquired a lot of respect and admiration in Hillsborough (where she formerly taught).” He added that several people have told him they were familiar with Caudill and say “she is an all-star, she is amazing.”
The Board unanimously approved the appointment, effective July 1 through June 30, 2027, with a salary of $147,900.
Caudill spoke at the Board Meeting, where she thanked the Board, and said that school “has always been a place where I felt OK, a place where mistakes were welcomed as part of the learning process … where I was challenged to develop my own ideas while learning to consider the perspectives of others.”
“Ms. Caudill,” wrote LaSusa in an email, “emerged as the successful candidate from a very talented pool of educators and we are delighted to welcome her aboard. She served the Hillsborough Township Public Schools for nearly 20 years as a third and fourth grade teacher, often in collaboration with a special education partner, and for the past four years she has been the assistant principal at Orchard Hill Elementary School in Montgomery Township, where she has helped to lead a school of over 700 pre-K-2 students. Throughout the interview process, she spoke eloquently regarding her commitment to elementary education and her belief in public education. We are excited to have her join the Littlebrook team.”
LaSusa said he “would like to thank Mr. Ramirez for his service to the district, for his collaboration with me over the past year, and for generously offering to assist in any way he can during the transition to a new principal.”
Caudill, when asked what in her experience is a good foundation for the job at Littlebrook, said in an email that her “experiences as a classroom teacher, teacher-leader, and vice principal have provided me with a strong foundation for this role. Over the course of my career, I have had opportunities to lead initiatives focused on school culture, student support systems, instructional leadership, and family engagement. These experiences have reinforced my belief that successful schools thrive when educators and families work together to support the whole child, and I look forward to bringing that collaborative approach to Littlebrook.”
As vice principal at Orchard Hill Elementary School, she has led a variety of school-wide initiatives focused on strengthening systems of support for students, enhancing school culture, and fostering meaningful partnerships among staff, students, and families. Her work has included redesigning Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), implementing school-wide character and restorative practices initiatives, supporting professional learning, and collaborating in the development of programs designed to meet the diverse needs of learners.
Caudill spent nearly two decades at Amsterdam Elementary School in Hillsborough, where she served as both a classroom teacher and teacher-leader. During her tenure, she led professional development initiatives, contributed to school improvement planning, mentored colleagues, and developed programs that promoted student leadership and community engagement.
Caudill earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and English from The College of New Jersey. She has been recognized for her contributions to education through honors including Governor’s Teacher of the Year and Exemplary Elementary Educator.