Craig Hamby will be the principal of Dressel Elementary School when it opens next fall, Lindbergh Schools announced today — Thursday, Dec. 8.

Hamby has served as principal of Sappington Elementary School since 2010, and has been a teacher, instructional leader and administrator in the district for 16 years.

Dressel will provide essential relief for elementary school overcrowding districtwide, and at Sappington in particular. Sappington is currently the district’s largest elementary, with 773 students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade — fifth-graders are attending Sperreng Middle School for one year, due to space restraints.

“Our goal is to reduce overcrowding and create equity among all of our current elementary schools, which are designed to hold about 550 students each,” Superintendent Jim Simpson stated in a news release. “Dressel is being designed to hold 650 students, and we expect that several of the students who will attend Dressel next year will transfer from Sappington.”

Hamby is the district’s senior elementary principal, and an experienced leader with extensive knowledge of Lindbergh Schools, the release stated.

“Opening a brand-new elementary school is a complex, team effort that involves many components, from staffing to scheduling, to traffic procedures,” Simpson stated. “As Sappington principal, Dr. Hamby has developed a strong relationship with a large contingency of future Dressel students, and he has successfully led our district’s largest elementary school.”

Hamby will serve as Sappington principal through the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Lindbergh will begin the search process for a new principal immediately, including input from Sappington teachers and parents in the process.

Hamby earned his bachelor of science in elementary education at Southeast Missouri State University. He has a master of arts in educational administration from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, and an education specialist degree and doctorate in school administration/superintendency from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis.