Black Rock Principal Sarah Stout to Leave LMSD at the End of the Year

Superintendent Dr. Frank Ranelli has shared
the letter below with LMSD families:

April 17, 2026

Dear LMSD Community,

With mixed emotions, I am writing to let you know that Black Rock Middle School Principal Sarah Stout will be leaving our District at the end of this school year. Pending approval by the Hatboro Horsham School Board, she will be named principal of Simmons Elementary School, starting in September. Mrs. Stout worked in Hatboro Horsham prior to coming to Lower Merion. Her new position is closer to her home and will allow her to spend more time with her family.

Mrs. Stout has been a truly valuable member of LMSD for 13 years, serving as an assistant principal at Welsh Valley, principal at Bala Cynwyd, and then founding principal at Black Rock. She was integral to bringing Black Rock from vision to reality, and in the years since it opened has guided the way for it to become a school community where every student and staff member can feel valued and respected. Her leadership, patience, knowledge, empathy and, yes, sense of fun, make her a model educational leader. Our loss will be Hatboro Horsham’s gain. I hope the students, staff and families there appreciate her as much as we have here in LMSD.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing information about the process to identify Black Rock’s next principal. In the meantime, please know that Mrs. Stout, Dr. Mobley and Mr. Lichtenberg will ensure Black Rock’s school year will proceed as planned.

Sincerely,

Dr. Frank Ranelli
Superintendent