PUSD Announces New Principals for 2024-25 School Year
(San Diego, CA) – The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is proud to announce new school site leadership ahead of the 2024-25 school year at ten schools following multiple retirements, career changes, and promotions. Each of these highly regarded educators will ensure students, staff, and school communities are fully supported to empower world-class teaching and learning at our school sites. The PUSD Board of Education votes to appoint new principals during their June 4, June 13, and August 15, 2024, meetings. Congratulations to the following:
- Grace Cox – Principal, Adobe Bluffs Elementary School
- Aaron Little - Principal, Chaparral Elementary School (pending Board approval on August 15)
- Sue Melnick – Principal, Garden Road Elementary School
- Stephanie Weekes – Principal, Los Peñasquitos Elementary School
- Laura D’Acquisto – Principal, Monterey Ridge Elementary School
- Teri Heard – Principal, Stone Ranch Elementary School
- Jennie Mikels – Principal, Sundance Elementary School (current PUSD principal, new site assignment)
- Jeff Friedenberg - Principal, Tierra Bonita Elementary School (pending Board approval on August 15)
- Lisa Maguire – Principal, Turtleback Elementary School (current PUSD principal, new site assignment)
- Bill Egan – Principal, Westwood Elementary School
Grace Cox
Adobe Bluffs Elementary School
(Rancho Peñasquitos)
Grace Cox has nearly 15 years of experience in the field of elementary education, most recently as Principal of Riverview International Academy where she led a TK-5 trilingual immersion program. Throughout her career she has largely focused on language immersion, starting as the founding Mandarin Immersion Teacher before moving to bring Immersion Programs to other school sites. She has a strong passion for providing enriched learning experiences for all students while meeting the unique needs of each individual, so that every student can thrive.
Aaron Little
Chaparral Elementary School
(Poway)
Aaron Little has 28 years of experience as an educator, most recently as the Principal of Valley Center High School. He is thrilled to be returning to PUSD where he spent 20 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator. He believes that the true magic of a school happens in the classroom where curiosity is sparked, friendships are formed, and lifelong learning begins. It is his mission to support teachers and staff in making every classroom a place where every student feels valued and inspired.
Sue MelnickGarden Road Elementary School
(Poway)
Sue Melnick has a background of 19 years in education, 10 of which have been with Poway Unified School District. Her experience includes years as a resource teacher, special day class teacher, and most recently as Assistant Principal at Del Sur Elementary School. Throughout her career, her time in education has centered around meeting the needs of students while embracing their interests and individuality. She believes that education is not just about academic achievement but also about nurturing the whole child – cultivating curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning.
Stephanie Weekes
Los Peñasquitos Elementary School
(Rancho Peñasquitos)
Stephanie Weeks has spent the last six years demonstrating her effective and experienced leadership as an administrator in Poway Unified. She is coming from Park Village Elementary School and Connect Academy where she served as Assistant Principal, and spent 13 years prior to PUSD teaching in elementary classrooms. Mrs. Weekes prides herself on being an educational leader that creates and ensures equitable opportunities and access to learning options that best foster students’ strengths and interests while meeting their needs.
Laura D’Acquisto
Monterey Ridge Elementary School (4S Ranch)
Laura D’Acquisto is no stranger to Monterey Ridge Elementary as she has spent the last two years as Assistant Principal. She has been a part of the Poway Unified School District for more than 25 years as an educator and administrator, with her history stemming back even farther than that – she is a Poway High School graduate herself! She is eager to continue collaborating with teachers, staff, and families and is committed to providing an environment where students feel empowered to achieve and can grow in all aspects of school life.
Teri Heard
Stone Ranch Elementary School (4S Ranch)
For the past 20 years, Teri Heard has dedicated herself to transforming students’ lives through education. She has been a teacher, school counselor and, most recently, Assistant Principal at Westview High School where she spent time supporting programs such as Physical Education, Special Education, Visual and Performing Arts, and more. She is passionate about developing leadership skills in students and adults and strives to create an atmosphere where students can pursue their dreams while thriving academically, socially, and emotionally.
Jennie Mikels
Sundance Elementary School
(Rancho Peñasquitos)
Jennie Mikels has demonstrated her leadership in classrooms and as an administrator for more than 30 years. For the majority of these years her focus has been at the elementary level where she has worked collaboratively with team members to reach collective goals, with the last eight years having been in Poway Unified as Principal of Westwood Elementary School. She prides herself on a collaborative and approachable leadership style and values ongoing two-way communication to build trusting partnerships.
Jeff Friedenberg
Tierra Bonita Elementary School
(Poway)
Jeff Friedenberg is excited to continue the tradition of excellence at Tierra Bonita Elementary School, as he returns to his hometown of Poway. Not only is he a graduate of PUSD schools, he also began his education career 18 years ago teaching at Twin Peaks Middle School and Bernardo Heights Middle School. Most recently, he has served as an elementary school principal in the San Diego Unified School District for the last four years. He is passionate about building community with families, supporting educators’ professional learning, and providing a safe learning environment for all students.
Lisa Maguire
Turtleback Elementary School
(Rancho Bernardo)
Lisa Maguire brings 26 years of experience as an elementary level educator and administrator to Turtleback Elementary. She spent 17 years in the classroom before becoming an assistant principal, leading her to her most recent position as Principal at Garden Road Elementary. Throughout her career she has developed and launched many innovative programs for her students and staff, such as Leader in Me (equipping students with essential leadership and life skills) and Dual Immersion programming, and she strives to create an environment of continual growth and achievement on her campuses.
Bill Egan
Westwood Elementary School
(Rancho Bernardo)
Bill Egan has been part of the Poway Unified School District for 10 years and has a unique perspective from serving students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels throughout his more than 20 years in education. His career began as an instructional assistant, igniting his passion for education that has carried through to his most recent role as Assistant Principal and Design Facilitator at Design39Campus. He is a firm believer that a student’s elementary years play a critical role in laying the groundwork for future success – building the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed in the classroom and beyond.