Thursday, October 1, 2026
Amid a flurry of recent staffing changes by Freeport Public Schools as it nears the end of the 2025-26 school year, three people have been hired to serve in leadership roles within the district. The decisions were officially announced during a Board of Education meeting on May 21.
The first appointee is Auriel Watson as assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. She immediately began her position and replaces Anthony Murray, who held the position in an interim capacity. He will retire from the district on July 31, after 10 years of service in various capacities.
Watson offers a strong background in school administrative work as a high school and middle school principal, curriculum innovation, special education, principal coaching and much more. Her most recent position as an educational leadership coach and consultant with RevitalizED Solutions and Nahte Educational Consultants, has provoked optimism from the school board regarding her impending leadership.
“Dr. Watson brings an extraordinary combination of vision, expertise and practical experience to this role,” the school board wrote in a statement about the hire. “Her ability to connect curriculum, instruction, leadership development and equity-centered practice will be a tremendous asset to the students, staff and families of Freeport Public Schools.”
Johanna Medina-Bowers is the second hire, who has been appointed to be the full-time principal of the Columbus Avenue School after serving as interim principal this school year. Board President Sunday Coward and the rest of the board expressed excitement over the hire, especially since Medina-Bowers is an internal promotion.
“Mrs. Medina-Bowers has already demonstrated her ability to lead Columbus Avenue School with compassion, organization and vision,” the board wrote. “The positive momentum established during her interim tenure made it clear that she was the right leader to continue guiding the school forward.”
Medina-Bowers has over 15 years of teaching experience coupled with four years spent as a school leader. One of her greatest accomplishments so far at the Columbus Avenue School has been the revitalization of the school’s parent-teacher association (PTA), helping it achieve the highest PTA membership district-wide by Oct. 1 last year.
The third and final administrative hire is Shomari Akil as the next principal of Freeport High School. He will replace Gisselle Campbell-Ham, who has decided to leave the district after working in multiple district schools for over 30 years. She had been the high school principal since August 2021.
Akil most recently served as the principal of John Jay School for Law in New York City, where he oversaw notable increases in test scores and attendance schoolwide during his tenure.
“Mr. Akil’s track record demonstrates exactly the kind of leadership Freeport High School needs at this moment,” Coward said. “He understands the importance of balancing academic rigor with strong relationships and student support systems. We are excited to welcome him to the Freeport community.”
Akil will seek to provide further stability to Freeport High School which has been at the center of some tension within the district. Teachers and students protested and rallied against the district’s decision to unexpectedly transfer Patricia Langan, the Freeport Teachers Association president, from Freeport High School to John W. Dodd Middle School.
Akil will officially assume the principal position on July 1.
