Norwich — Sarah Duso has known for years that she wanted to be an elementary school principal, but she passed up numerous opportunities to wait for her dream job.

A Taftville native but frequent traveler growing up in a military family, Duso returned to the area and started working in Norwich public schools as a paraeducator 15 years ago. She got her teaching certificate, stayed in Norwich to teach, earned her administrative certificate and has worked as an assistant principal at the Moriarty Environmental Sciences Magnet School and at Kelly Middle School.

Six years ago, longtime Wequonnoc Arts & Technology Magnet School Principal Scott Fain invited her to the village elementary school to do professional development with the staff. She fell in love with the place.

“I said, ‘When do you retire?' and he said: ‘You’ve got a while to wait, lady,’” Duso recalled. “I haven’t put in for any other principal job.”

In February, Fain announced he would retire at the end of the school year, and this week, Duso realized her dream. She was named as Fain’s successor Tuesday during the Board of Education meeting, selected from among several candidates who had applied for the position, Superintendent Abby Dolliver said. An interview team with two teachers, three board members, two parents and central office administrators participated.

“The staff felt strongly she’s a good match ...,” Dolliver said. “She worked there briefly for a time and has been in our district her whole career.”

Of the city’s seven elementary schools, Wequonnoc School in Taftville has the strongest neighborhood connections. Students parade through the historic Ponemah Mill village on the last day of school each year, and many students walk to school and home. Duso, now assistant principal at Kelly Middle School, plans to participate in the June 10 village walk and will start working with Fain on the transition as soon as possible.

“I believe in the highest level of customer service for our families,” Duso said. “I really want the school to be the hub of the community. It’s the last community school in Norwich.”

Duso was born in Taftville in 1979 and attended the TVCCA child care center for her first four years. She went to the former William A. Buckingham School for kindergarten, but then her family moved out of the area, returning to Montville when she was in middle school. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Eastern Connecticut State University and her education administration degree at Sacred Heart University.

Duso now lives in Montville near the Norwich border and her two children attend Tyl Middle School in Montville, where she attended middle school.

She taught at Veterans’ Memorial School for seven years and became an administrator first at the Uncas School and then assistant principal at Moriarty and Kelly Middle School. Dolliver said Duso’s training and skills made her the go-to person for many duties during her tenure that brought her to almost every city school building at one time or another.

“If we needed something, we moved her into that role,” Dolliver said. “She helped us out with certain skills when we needed them. It’s her first principalship, and we feel she’s ready to take it on.”

c.bessette@theday.com