Alton School District Announces Two New Elementary Principals

Posted Date: 01/21/26 (10:52 AM)

The Alton Community Unit School District is proud to announce two administrative appointments approved by the Board of Education at its January 20 meeting.

Amber Harrington

Amber Harrington has been appointed principal at Lovejoy Elementary School effective July 1, following the retirement of Principal John Ducey in June.

Mrs. Harrington brings 15 years of experience in education, the majority of which has been spent serving students, staff, and families in the Alton School District. Currently Ms. Harrington serves as assistant principal at Alton Middle School, where she focuses on building strong relationships, supporting teachers, and fostering a positive, student-centered school culture.

Mrs. Harrington is a graduate of Greenville University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, and she holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration from SIUE. As a proud member of the Alton community, she is deeply committed to the success of all students and believes that early childhood education lays the foundation for lifelong learning.

She is passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment where young learners feel valued, supported, and excited to come to school each day. Mrs. Harrington values collaboration with teachers and staff and believes that strong partnerships with families and the community are essential to helping every child grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

Mrs. Harrington looks forward to building strong relationships with students, families, staff, and community members and is honored to serve as the principal of Lovejoy Elementary School.

Julie Osborn

At the same meeting, the Board approved the appointment of Julie Osborn as the principal of Gilson Brown Elementary School. Mrs. Osborn will assume the position when Principal JoAnne Curvey retires in June.

Julie Osborn began her college career at Lewis and Clark College before transferring to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business with a focus in Marketing in 2003. She later pursued her passion for education, earning a second bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood with a Special Education approval from Greenville College in 2008. In 2013, she completed her master’s degree in Educational Administration at McKendree College.

Julie began her career in education as an Early Childhood assistant, a role she held for four years. After earning her teaching degree, she taught in a self-contained special education classroom at Early Childhood for two years. She later transferred to Lovejoy Elementary, where she spent 14 years as a kindergarten teacher, developing a strong foundation in early literacy, classroom culture, and student-centered instruction.

Most recently, Julie serves as an assistant principal at North Elementary, where she plays an active role in strengthening and implementing PBIS systems to support positive student behavior and a strong school culture.

Ms. Osborn is excited to serve as principal of Gilson Brown and looks forward to working closely with kindergarten and first grade learners. She values the unique opportunity to witness young learners’ growth and excitement as they experience meaningful “light bulb” moments in learning. While she will miss the students and staff at North Elementary, she is eager to return to working more closely with younger learners