At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education, board president Monique Limon announced the selection of Frann Wageneck as the new principal of La Cuesta and Alta Vista high schools. Limon also announced the decision to have Harding University Partnership School Acting Principal Vanesha Davis serve as the school’s new principal for the 2013-14 school year.
Limon reported the board’s 5-0 vote to have Wageneck serve as the principal of La Cuesta and Alta Vista high schools, effective July 1.
Wageneck is from Santa Barbara. She attended La Colina Junior High School and San Marcos High School. She studied at Chico State, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. She continued her studies at the University of LaVerne, where she earned a master’s degree in educational psychology, with an emphasis on school counseling. She then went on to Cal State Northridge, where she received a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies.
Wageneck has worked in the Santa Barbara Unified School District in several capacities, first as a counselor at Community Day School and La Colina Junior High School, followed by assistant principal assignments at Goleta Valley Junior High School, Santa Barbara High School and, ultimately, La Cuesta and Alta Vista high schools.
“I love this community, and being principal of La Cuesta and Alta Vista will give me an opportunity to serve my community in a different and new way,” Wageneck said. “We are so fortunate to have La Cuesta and Alta Vista for students who need the type of educational path these schools provide.”
Wageneck will continue serving as La Cuesta and Alta Vista’s assistant principal until the start of the 2013-14 school year.
Davis began work as an assistant principal at Harding University Partnership School in October 2012. On Nov. 16, 2012, she became the school’s acting principal.
Prior to joining the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Davis worked as a teacher, and then assistant principal, in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
A native of Los Angeles, Davis received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University. She also received an education administration credential at California State University Dominguez Hills.
“I am fortunate to be given this opportunity to work alongside an exceptional, dedicated staff at Harding University Partnership School,” Davis said. “With this opportunity I would like to strengthen our community partnerships and, most important, focus on preparing the leaders of tomorrow.”
The principal position is effective July 1.
— Barbara Keyani is the administrative services and communications coordinator for the Santa Barbara Unified School District.