Four elementary school principals will be playing musical chairs within the Tooele County School District when the 2008-09 school year begins.

"We are taking advantage of Settlement Canyon Elementary opening to move a few principals so they can have new challenges and opportunities," said Mike Johnsen, Tooele County School District superintendent, in announcing the changes at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

Karen Swenson, principal at Dugway High School since July 2005, will be the principal at the new Settlement Canyon Elementary School opening in southwest Tooele this fall. Swenson has been working in education for 30 years, nine in Alaska and 21 in Utah.

Robin Nielson, currently principal at Harris Elementary in Tooele, will become principal at Dugway High School. Nielson has been in education for 24 years, all in the Tooele County School District. She started her career teaching English and French at Dugway High School in 1984. Nielson was appointed principal at Northlake Elementary in July 1998 and then Harris Elementary in July 2005.

Cleo Riggs, currently principal at Willow Elementary in Grantsville, will be the principal at Harris Elementary. Riggs started teaching at Grantsville Elementary in August 1969, and was appointed principal of Grantsville Elementary in July 1986. She was selected to open Willow Elementary as its principal during the 2002-03 school year.

Mark Brunsdale, currently principal at East Elementary, will become the principal at Willow Elementary. Brunsdale taught elementary school in Gilbert, Ariz., before coming to Tooele County in August 2000 as a teacher at Grantsville Middle School. He completed his administrative internship at Grantsville High School and Grantsville Elementary School, and was appointed principal of East Elementary in July 2005.

All the principals that have accepted new assignments have been very successful in their current assignments, Johnsen said.

"Some of the changes were quite natural," said Johnsen. "Robin Nielson lives at Dugway and started her career in education teaching out there."

The new administrative assignments were approved by the school board and will be effective June 2008. The shuffle leaves the principal position at East Elementary open. Johnsen said the district will open the position to qualified applicants from within the district and throughout the state.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com