Kickemuit Middle School is no longer without a principal.

The Bristol Warren Regional School Committee introduced new KMS Principal Jared Vance, replacing Beth Hayes, who resigned in March. Mr. Vance, currently the assistant principal at Curtis Corner Middle School in South Kingstown, will begin at KMS on July 1, though he said he plans on visiting the school at least once a week between now and then.

"I want to immerse myself in the culture there. I need to see what the staff is like what the students are like and get a good understanding," Mr. Vance said. "Hopefully we can all work together and reach excellence for our students."

Mr. Vance has 14 years experience as a teacher and administrator in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He began as a special education teacher in Wrentham, Mass., in 2000, then held the same position in Barrington for eight years before becoming assistant principal at Curtis Corner in November 2011.

Mr. Vance also serves on a fellowship with the Highlander Institute, a collection of education professionals aiming to improve education practices throughout the state. As part of his fellowship, Mr. Vance has focused on improving technology in the classroom, working on incorporating applications like Google Docs that allow students to work collaboratively without being in the same room.

"As part of the fellowship, I've been working with the North Kingstown School District. Now I can take that into Bristol Warren as well," he said.