WESTBROOK – School in the summer is a quiet place.

The halls are lined with books and furniture as classrooms are cleaned and maintained, and most of the time, the hallways are empty enough to drive a car down them without risking injuring anyone.

At Westbrook High School, the seasonal quiet belies the fact that this is an institution in transition. There have been several shakeups in the top administrative positions in both the high school and the school department over the last couple of years, with the longtime principal, Marc Gousse, moving to the superintendent’s office and the high school principal, Tom O’Malley, leaving last month after just one year in the position. And Howard Jack, the assistant principal, was put on administrative leave for some two weeks in June.

Stepping into the breach is Westbrook School Department veteran Jon Ross, a 15-year employee of the district and most recently the director of adult and alternative learning. On Monday, Ross took over as high school principal.

Interim principal after Gousse left to become superintendent at the end of the 2010-2011 school year, Ross comes into a school that was thrust into a harsh spotlight during the last few weeks of the academic year. Student Tori Pabst, a junior, criticized the school, and specifically Jack, for the way her complaints about bullying were handled.

As he gets ready for the opening of school in September, Ross said he is going to focus on bringing more structure back to the school and making it a more positive place where students can grow and excel.

Ross, who described his management style as “firm but friendly,” said that he believes having a positive attitude is vital, especially with students who are struggling in school. He’s hoping that the positive attitude that has worked so well with the at-risk kids in the alternative learning program will translate successfully to the entire school population.

“I’ve been working with at-risk kids for the last 12 years,” Ross said. “I’ve got to be a glass -is-half-full (person). It’s real easy to catch kids doing things wrong. That’s what schools historically do. But we’re going to try and turn it on its head and catch kids doing the right thing.”

School Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said Ross will be a solid leader. “I think he’s got the right personality for that school,” he said. “I think he’s great with the students.”

School Superintendent Marc Gousse agreed that one of Ross’ strengths is the way he deals with students.

“I think first and foremost, Jon understands our students very well,” Gousse said, adding that Ross’ time with the Westbrook schools will be an asset as he settles into his new position.

“He understands our staff and community, as well. He can hit the ground running, so we’ll be ahead of the curve there,” Gousse said.

One big change that will be in evidence when school opens is the addition of a second assistant principal. Tim Stebbins, formerly Bonny Eagle High School assistant principal, will be joining the administrative team in August. Ross said that Stebbins, working alongside Jack, will be an effective team.

Ross said that that the two assistant principals are going to work in a new structure. Stebbins will work with the incoming freshmen and juniors and Jack will work with the sophomores and seniors, with each administrator staying with the class during their years at the school. Ross said he thinks that arrangement will go a long way in bringing some structure to the school. “A school of this size really needs two assistant principals,” he said.

As for the widely discussed issue of bullying at the high school, Ross said he is going to tackle the problem with staff prior to the beginning of the school year, devoting to the issue of bullying a large part of one of the four staff development days held right before the students return.

He said that he is going to stress a policy that was already in place, but not widely known – students with an issue don’t need to go through the school’s administration to report the problem and seek help, and they can go to any staff member that they trust.

“There’s always people in the building that students can go to,” Ross said. “You can go to anybody and expect that you will be heard and it will be handled immediately.”

Getting back to the topic of bringing structure back to the school, Ross said that applies to staff as well as students. He said that after Gousse left to become superintendent, the high school has been in transition, with three principals (including Ross’ time as interim) through two years.

“When things are in flux, people begin to make up their own definitions and their own decisions,” he said. “We need to move away from that, and back to a more sound management principle.”

Gousse said he is confident that Ross will be able to bring structure to the school.

“I think Jon has a very good handle on what the issues are and how to handle them,” he said.

Ross said, in general, he thinks the staff morale has been good, and he praised the way the school’s staff stepped up this year to help with several programs geared at boosting the school’s reputation.

Ross said examples of those programs include membership in the League of Innovative Schools, which is a regional professional learning community for New England schools. Members of the league work together to help develop programs and share professional expertise, all in an effort to improve the classroom experience for their students.

Ross also added that the staff has been working with the New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges on the school’s regular annual progress report.

“It was really the faculty that picked up these pieces and moved them forward,” he said.

Ross said that it was the fact that the school had such a strong staff that he decided to apply for the principal’s slot.

“I threw my hat in the ring because I wanted to come here and make a difference,” Ross said. “And a lot of that decision was based on the fact that there was a strong faculty that cares about kids. If there was anything but that, I didn’t have to come in this direction.”

“I wanted to come here and make a difference,” says Jon Ross, who took over this week as Westbrook High School principal. (Staff photo by Mike Higgins)