Newport-Mesa principals await switches

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District plans to change principals at its preschool and four elementary schools this year, with one administrator moving out of the district and four others transferring to other Newport-Mesa sites.

The new assignments, which the school board is scheduled to vote on at tonight’s meeting, would result in at least seven Newport-Mesa schools having new leaders July 1.

The board will also vote on whether to accept the transfers of TeWinkle Middle School Principal Dan Diehl and Costa Mesa Middle School Principal Kirk Bauermeister, whom administrators have recommended moving to each other’s schools.

“The idea is always that you want to get people in places where they can be successful and meet the needs of a school,” Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard said.

“There are occasionally times when we at the district level work with those administrators to identify places where they want to go.”

Under the district’s proposal, the following changes would take place:

Newport-Mesa administrators announced the changes Friday afternoon. As the news spread over the weekend, a number of parents expressed regret at seeing their principals go.

“I’m sad, but I’m very happy for her,” Eastbluff PTA President Lisa Lambert said about Metoyer. “It’s obviously a recognition of what she’s accomplished at our school and what she’s capable of.”

Metoyer, who has been at Eastbluff for six years, said she would always have fond memories of working there.

“There’s a part of me that’s really sad because I love the relationships and the successes we’ve had at Eastbluff, but I’m excited to have new challenges and new successes,” she said.