San Diego

Ruby Cremaschi-Schwimmer, principal at Montgomery Junior High School, has been selected for the same position at Lincoln High School, Supt. Thomas Payzant said Wednesday.

The choice came after the school district rejected about 50 applicants who responded to city school officials’ nationwide search for a new principal.

Payzant said he tapped Cremaschi-Schwimmer for the post at the troubled high school because of her experience in the district and personal qualities that will enable her to work well with the Lincoln community.

Cremaschi-Schwimmer was a vice principal at Lincoln and principal of Muir Alternative School before becoming principal at Montgomery.

“She has, I think, a very fine way of working with all kinds of people,” Payzant said. “She listens well and is able to bring people together, and is still willing to make a tough decision when she can’t reach her first goal of having people arrive at consensus.”

Lincoln, which in recent years has posted the district’s lowest test scores, will be transformed into the Lincoln Preparatory High School for Humanities, Language and the Health Professions in September. The new curriculum is an effort to integrate the predominantly black school and boost achievement.