Administrators from Lawrence, Leavenworth and Dallas will fill principal vacancies in an early-childhood center, an elementary school and a junior high school, Lawrence school district officials have announced.

Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman said Elias Espinoza, a principal at L.V. Stockard Middle School in Dallas, will be principal of Wakarusa Valley School.

Frank Harwood, assistant principal at Leavenworth High School, has been selected to be principal for Central Junior High School, and Cris Anderson will be the principal of East Heights Early Childhood Family Center, where she currently serves as the building’s lead administrator.

Espinoza will replace Donna Black, who is retiring after three years as principal, and Harwood will replace Ted Juneau, who is retiring after 20 years. Anderson will be the first principal at East Heights Early Childhood Family Center, which has been the home for early childhood programs since 2003.

Espinoza has served as principal for the Dallas middle school since 2003.

He previously was principal at an elementary school in Fort Worth, Texas, and an assistant principal at a middle school and elementary school in Dallas. Espinoza also taught third, fifth and sixth grades and bilingual classes in Dallas. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.

Harwood has served as assistant principal at Leavenworth High School since 2002 and also completed a one-year stint as interim principal at Warren Middle School in Leavenworth from March 2004 to February 2005.

He previously taught science and coached at Perry-Lecompton High School for nine years. Harwood earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kansas University.

Anderson is in her 12th year as an early-childhood education specialist with Lawrence Public Schools. She previously taught kindergarten and third and fourth grades in Lawrence. Anderson also has taught in Rockford, Ill.; Holland, Mich.,; and Lawrence, Mich.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

Wakarusa Valley School, 1104 E. 1000 Road, serves 220 students. Central Junior High, 1400 Mass., serves 492 students. East Heights Early Childhood Family Center, 1430 Haskell Ave., serves 160 children and 40 adult students.

The appointments are contingent upon approval from the Lawrence school board. Board members will act on the recommendations at the May 9 meeting.