Bayside Academy’s board of trustees has selected a new headmaster to lead the private Daphne school, announcing this week that Michael Papa will take over the role starting July 1.
Papa steps into a position that has been filled on an interim basis since June 2014, when Ed Costello took over following the departure of former headmaster Peter Huestis, who led the school from 2012 to 2014. Costello will continue serving as interim headmaster until Papa officially joins the staff this summer.
A resident of West Palm Beach, Fla., Papa brings a career that spans classroom teaching, coaching, college instruction and school leadership. He has served as division head or head of school at five different institutions over the course of his career. Most recently, he held positions at the Academy of the Palm Beaches and Meyer Academy, both in the West Palm Beach area. His resume also includes stops at Beth Tfiloh in Baltimore, University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., and Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami.
Before moving into education full time, Papa spent more than 24 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a captain. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Nasson College and a Master of Science degree from George Washington University, along with additional education and executive leadership training completed at NOVA Southeastern University and Harvard University.
Bayside Academy, located in Daphne, is a private school serving roughly 720 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school’s board said the search for a permanent headmaster focused on finding a candidate with both classroom experience and a track record running independent schools, and cited Papa’s varied background across multiple states and institutions as a strong fit for Bayside’s needs.
The transition is expected to be a smooth one, with Costello remaining in place through the spring semester to ensure continuity before Papa arrives on campus this summer to begin the new academic year as the school’s top administrator.