Published May 29, 2025
By EVA HANEGRAAFF
NORTH READING — In a monumental graduation year, the NRHS seniors are getting ready to take on a new phase of their lives as they are off to college and careers. Similarly, marking the end of an 11-year long career as principal, Anthony Loprete is entering a new phase of his life as well, as he goes into retirement at the end of this year.
Loprete is not nervous to leave the school as he has confidence that the structure and culture of the school will allow it to continue running smoothly no matter the principal. He says, “I want Dr. Meyer to walk into a school that has focus, that has direction, that has established culture and a foundation and where the student culture really runs the school and I think that is what we have.”
Loprete also expresses his faith in Dr. Meyer in her abilities to bring in her own influence to the school. He says, “There’s an artistic element to the work where you’re your own artist, you’re your own teacher, you’re going to do things your own way.” He explains that while he has his own way of running the school, he is excited to see the way in which Dr. Meyer will implement her own style of being principal upon coming into the position.
Before being the principal for the past 11 years, Loprete also spent time as the assistant principal for the four years prior to that, making this year his fifteenth at NRHS. In his long career, he has accomplished a great deal, elevating the school environment and implementing programs that set out to be student centered.
Loprete was not always in administration, however. He actually started out his career as a teacher. He was a teacher for 15 years prior to seeking out administrative opportunities. He explains, “I’ve been doing this for fifteen years and I’m either going to be all in teaching or I’m going to change it up and try something different.”
Lopete found that he enjoyed the “big picture” side of education and found a passion for dealing with the problems and seeing to the success of a school on a large scale.
Even though administration was never in the forefront of his ambitions, working in education always was. Growing up in Arlington and being involved in a variety of school organizations, as well as having a positive school experience thanks to his high school teachers, his love of education blossomed. “I realized, you know what, my heart’s in this; my heart’s in education,” Loprete says.
In his 11 years, Loprete has maintained the same philosophy that brought him to love school in the first place. “We want kids to like school, we want kids to recognize how important it is for them, we want kids to really soak it in,” he says. His success in this is demonstrated by the large amount of student involvement and student participation that can be seen around NRHS. Loprete says, “I think the culture of the kids compliments the culture of the school.”
Loprete describes his experience walking down Main Street in the high school every day, looking at the trophy cases and artwork displayed right as you walk in the building. “It’s such an overpowering sense of a feeling of appreciation and success and opportunity,” he believes.
Every year, Loprete explains that he looks forward to the first day of school and graduation. He explains, “they’re very exciting days, arriving at those days takes a lot of work to make that happen so, to me, they’re both the same.”
He explains that he will miss being able to feel connected to the students and their successes. “That’s going to be a little bit of a hole to kind of figure out,” he says, adding, “but, the memories and the faces and the kids will always be there just with less intensity and less frequency.”
Going into retirement, Loprete has mixed feelings about the future. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to do this work and I want to be doing something, maybe a little less intense but we’ll figure out what that is,” he says.
He ends by giving a piece of advice to any future principal at NRHS. His advice is short and simple, yet incredibly important. The advice he gives is, “always be listening regardless of who is talking.”
In conclusion, Loprete’s career is one of incredible success and passion and he will surely be missed by students and staff members alike. As the end of the year fast approaches, community members welcome this bittersweet goodbye as they look forward to seeing how Meyer will continue the legacy Loprete leaves behind.