El Carmelo Elementary School's new principal will be Chuck Merritt, currently an assistant principal at Palo Alto High School, school district Assistant Superintendent Scott Bowers announced Tuesday.

Merritt's new role will be effective July 1. He will replace outgoing Principal Lupe Garcia, who is moving to become principal of Palo Verde Elementary School.

A committee of district and El Carmelo staff felt Merritt would provide the school with a smooth transition from one leader to another, a press release from Bowers states.

Like Garcia, Merritt is fluent in Spanish, and has been with the district since 1993. He taught in Galicia, Spain, for five years prior before beginning as a Spanish teacher at Paly.

He later assumed the additional role of technology learning coordinator, which included training staff from elementary schools to use technology, the release states.

He became Paly's assistant principal in 2001.

Merritt earned his undergraduate degree in political science and Spanish from University of the Pacific and a master's degree in educational administration from San Frnacisco State University. He also holds a teaching credential from San Jose State University.