WESTBROOK — A middle school principal from New Hampshire has been hired as the new principal of Westbrook High School.

Thomas O’Malley, 59, replaces Marc Gousse, who was named superintendent of Westbrook schools in June.

Gousse said O’Malley started working in the high school last week, although the School Committee has yet to approve his contract. His proposed salary is $96,741. The board is scheduled to vote on it at a meeting on Aug. 10.

Gousse said the district received between 15 and 20 applications for the position.

For the past eight years, O’Malley has been principal of Cooperative Middle School in Exeter, N.H. Previously, he was the principal of Sanford Junior High School, and has been an assistant principal at schools in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

O’Malley, an Eliot native, holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Southern Maine, as well as a certificate of advanced graduate study in educational administration from the University of New Hampshire.

He lives in Eliot with his wife Kathryn. They have six grown children and two grandchildren.