Sean Mulvey, a guidance counselor at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, will be the school’s next principal on an interim basis, Island schools superintendent Richard Smith told the high school committee Monday night.

“I’m going to appoint Sean as the principal for one year, and then I will bring contract terms for your discussion and ultimately, hopefully, for your approval,” Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Mulvey was assistant principal at West Tisbury School in 2010-2011 and at Tisbury School from 2011 to 2019 before joining the high school guidance department. He is licensed by the state education department to hold a principal’s position for grades nine through 12, Mr. Smith said.

Outgoing principal Sara Dingledy, who is moving to a curriculum job in Mr. Smith’s office after nine years leading the school, will remain on the MVRHS staff this summer to guide Mr. Mulvey in his transition to the principal’s office, Mr. Smith told the committee.

An advisory group of 40 people, both school staffers and community representatives, helped Mr. Smith assess candidates for the principal’s job.

“We reviewed 14 applications. We interviewed seven. We invited one to an in-person process, but that person dropped [out] … and so at that point, we moved towards an interim search,” he said. 

Mr. Mulvey was one of four strong candidates working at MVRHS, Mr. Smith said.

“I see all of those folks, if they want to move into administration, as being great future administrators,” he said.

The high school committee has scheduled a special meeting Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to act on Mr. Mulvey’s contract terms and compensation.

Mr. Smith said while he has appointed Mr. Mulvey to a one-year interim position, he plans to ask the committee Thursday to make it a longer contract.

“I want to treat Sean like the principal of the high school. I want … the community to see Sean as the principal of the high school, as we move through several large opportunities that this school is going through,” Mr. Smith said.