Natonia LaFreniere has been selected as the new principal of Bell Elementary School, effective July 1. Mrs. LaFreniere replaces Lauren Shapiro, who is becoming the new principal at Hawk Elementary School. 

Mrs. LaFreniere has most recently served as the assistant principal at Hawk Elementary since 2020. She has 16 years of experience in education.

“Ms. LaFreniere has a very strong understanding of the Braswell Zone,” said Dr. Jeff Russell, area superintendent of the Braswell High School zone. “Her experience at Hawk will be extremely valuable. Ms. LaFreniere’s expectation level is high, and she will be a great addition to Bell Elementary.” 

Prior to her role as assistant principal at Hawk, Mrs. LaFreniere was a teacher at Union Park during its inaugural 2019-2020 school year. From 2006-2019, Mrs. LaFreniere worked in a nearby school district as an assistant principal, teacher and instructional aide. 

Mrs. LaFreniere received her bachelor’s in public affairs from the University of Texas at Dallas. She received her master’s in educational administration from Concordia University.