A Saint John’s catholic school principal will be heading Maine’s Catholic schools.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced Thursday that it will appoint Shelly Wheeler as the new superintendent of the regional schools.

Current superintendent Marianne Pelletier will retire at the end of the school year.

"It is certainly bittersweet to leave the St. John Catholic School community,” said Wheeler in a news release from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. “But I look forward to building upon and applying the learnings from our successes at St. John’s on a broader scale to our wonderful schools across the state.”

According to the news release, Wheeler has more than 20 years of experience in public and private school sectors and has been with St. John’s Catholic School for the past six years. The release also says during that time, she helped double enrollment and improve school finances from significant debt to good financial standing.

“I certainly value Shelly’s experience, particularly at Saint John’s School and Saint Dominic Academy, in cultivating environments strong in the Catholic faith and Catholic values while always seeking excellence in academics,” said Bishop James Ruggieri.

Wheeler starts her new role on July 1.