Education Commissioner Lionel Tracy and Deputy Commissioner Mary Heath are visiting Ashland Elementary School today. Tracy and Heath will tour the school, which was named the N.H. School of Excellence for 2007 and is led by Principal Bill Tirone, who has just been named elementary school principal of the year.

The N.H. Association of School Principals officially named Tirone as elementary school principal of the year on Thursday.

Tirone has been nominated several times, with the last nomination coming five years ago for the award but was a runner up. But this time around, things were different. He received the award at the Grappone Center in Concord on Thursday, with an esteemed audience that included Governor John Lynch as well as friends, family and colleagues.

"It is a great honor," said Tirone. "Not only for myself, but for the whole school. It's been a great year for the Ashland community. It's a nice feeling for the children and the school to be recognized through these awards."

Tirone, however, is not only a principal. At Ashland he has served as a physical education teacher, athletic director, coach and principal for more than 20 years. But, he was not always interested in education. He said that it was more of a convenient accident than anything.

Tirone, the first generation of his family born in America, is part of an Italian family with five brothers and five sisters. He grew up in Seabrook and went to Catholic school in Amesbury, Mass. through grade 8.

Following Catholic school he went to Winnacunnet High School in Hampton and then went on to study forestry at the University of New Hampshire, where he received his associate degree. He later received his bachelor's degree in physical education at Plymouth State College, as well as a master's degree in education supervision.

Tracy's visit is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with an assembly taking place at 9:15 in the cafeteria. Tracy and Heath will visit classes from each grade. The visit will wrap up at 2 p.m.

"It will be a good chance for the commissioner to see how things are run in Ashland," said Library Media Specialist Sarah Davis. "He'll be able to see how the school of the year functions."