Molly Box is the new permanent principal of Harborview Elementary School, and Elizabeth Pisel-Davis is the new permanent principal of Riverbend Elementary School. Both previously served as interim principal at their respective schools. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Molly Box is the new permanent principal of Harborview Elementary School, and Elizabeth Pisel-Davis is the new permanent principal of Riverbend Elementary School. Both previously served as interim principal at their respective schools. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau School District announces two new principals

They’re both familiar faces.

Juneau School District’s two newest principals have already been at work for a while.

On Friday, the district announced Molly Box was selected to be principal of Harborview Elementary School and Elizabeth Pisel-Davis was picked to be principal of Riverbend Elementary School. Box was previously the interim principal for Harborview and Pisel-Davis was the interim principal for Riverbend.

Both new principals were publicly interviewed this week and were the lone candidates publicly interviewed for their respective positions. They have decades of experience in education.

“We are very excited to have such talented administrators poised and ready to take on these leadership positions,” said JSD Superintendent Bridget Weiss in a release. “They are great additions to our team.”

Box did not immediately return a call seeking comment, and Pisel-Davis was traveling Friday when the announcement was made.

The district currently has no more openings for principal positions, said JSD Chief of Staff Kristin Bartlett in an email.

Box took the reins as principal at Harborview after the retirement of former principal Tom McKenna at the end of last school year.

[Harborview could have a new principal soon]

She was previously a fourth-and-fifth-grade classroom teacher at the school and has almost 30 years of experience in elementary and middle school education in both Alaska and Nevada, according to the school district. She joined JSD in 1992, taught at Riverbend, Floyd Dryden Middle School and Harborview. Box was an assistant principal at Floyd Dryden Middle School.

[A new principal could be around the Riverbend]

Pisel-Davis was appointed interim principal of Riverbend Elementary School in March of 2019, and she has been an educator at Riverbend since 2016. Pisel-Davis has 20 years of experience teaching, leading, and supporting education at both the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and the Juneau School District. Before working for the state, Pisel-Davis worked at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School and Harborview Elementary School.


• Contact reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt:


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