The Joint Operating Committee of the Carbon Career and Technical Institute hired Michele Connors as principal at a special meeting Thursday night.

Connors is expected to start July 1 and will earn $85,000 for the 2025-2026 school year and a salary of $87,975 for 2026-2027, per the Act 93 Agreement.

Connors lives in Weatherly, and has been in education for the past 19 years. This will be her first time working in a Carbon County school. She is currently assistant principal at Pocono Mountain West High School.

“I’m looking forward to working in a CTE (career and technical education) school,” Connors said. “I’ve been an educator now for 19 years, and I’ve worked mostly in Monroe County, so I’m very familiar with their CTE school.”

“I love the programming and the opportunities the students have in addition to their regular high school course work, finding something that they love; embracing that and making it part of their high school experience,” Connors said of the Monroe Career and Technical Institute.

“I’m looking forward to working in a CTE school so that I can be a part of that experience and help the students; to enrich them, to find whatever it is they want to do and find success in it.”

Connors graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 2020, receiving a master’s degree in professional and secondary education. She also graduated in 2006 from Lycoming College, and worked as an English teacher at Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville.

Michelle Allen submitted her letter of resigned as CCTI principal on March 3. Today was her last day.

Michele Connors’ older brother, Thomas Connors, is a member of CCTI’s Joint Operating Committee. He abstained from the vote.