WESTBROOK - The Westbrook School District has chosen a new principal for the high school, Superintendent Marc Gousse said Thursday.

Gousse named Thomas O'Malley, of Eliot, as the district's choice. The hiring must be confirmed by the school committee to become official, but Gousse said today that he is strongly recommending O'Malley. The school committee will likely vote on the hiring at its next meeting.

O'Malley has an education career that spans nearly 20 years, including working as a school administrator in Sanford and South Berwick. He has worked for the past eight years as principal of the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, N.H.

He holds a certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational leadership from the University of New Hampshire and a Maine principal's certification.