Principal's Message

Swaney has a long history of providing a great education for Derby students. Our highly qualified staff collaborates to make sure we provide an excellent education for our Wildcats. We serve early childhood through fifth-grade students and offer tiered programs, gifted services, and specialized programs for other exceptional students. Beyond that, students have the opportunity to attend Music, PE, Library, STEM and Art weekly.

This is my second year serving as the principal at Swaney Elementary. Before serving in this role, I worked in Derby Public Schools for 20 years with most of my time spent as an Interrelated Resource Teacher. My wife teaches at Derby Middle School, and we have an 8th grader, a 5th grader and a 3rd grader. I have lived in Derby for most of my life, and we love being a part of the Derby community with everything it offers!

As a Principal, I enjoy collaborating with staff and families to build on our strengths. I invite you to participate by joining our SITE council, Parents and Teachers at Swaney, volunteering in your child’s classroom, or helping with field trips and other special events. You can follow our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with what happens at Swaney on a daily basis.

At Swaney Elementary, we take great pride in our school, district, and community. Our mission is to make our school a safe, respectful and nurturing environment that both builds positive relationships with all staff, students, families, and community members and ensures learning and growth. I look forward to continuing to work with each of you to build a strong learning environment that helps move each student forward.

The best is yet to come! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.