by JULIE JEROME
Special to the Hays Free Press
Lehman High School, Academy High School and Dahlstrom Middle School will have new principals in the upcoming school year, following the unanimous hiring votes by the Hays CISD Board of Trustees Monday night.
A husband and wife couple will head up Lehman and Academy high schools.
Don Ruisinger, currently the principal of Dwyer Middle School in Huntington Beach, Calif., will be the new Lehman principal. Ruisinger replaces Elsa Hinojosa, who served as Lehman’s first principal when the school opened in 2004 and was promoted to Hays CISD executive director for high school performance.
Ruisinger, originally a social studies teacher, served as an assistant principal of Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock ISD from 1999-2004 and as principal of Dwyer Middle School since 2005.
Julie Ruisinger, currently the principal of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., will be the new head of Academy High. She replaces Gail Rhodes, who has taken a counseling position with the district.
Ruisinger, originally a math teacher, served as an assistant principal of Johnston High School in Austin ISD from 2000-04 and was named principal at Mira Costa High School in 2005.
Following a district-wide study team, the school board approved recommendations in February to improve Academy High School, an alternative school of choice for students, many of whom may be at risk of dropping out.
Sara Thurman, principal of Sartartia Middle School in Fort Bend ISD, has been named principal of Dahlstrom. She replaces Hilda Gartze, who is retiring this year after serving as Dahlstrom principal since 2003.
Thurman, previously an English, language arts and social studies teacher, has served as principal of Sartartia Middle School since 2005. Sartartia earned an exemplary rating in 2008 and 2009, and this year it was in the top five on the Children at Risk, Houston Chronicle’s list of the best middle schools in the Houston area. Thurman previously was principal of Walker Station Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD.
Ashley Taylor, a fourth grade teacher at Tom Green Elementary School, was hired as assistant principal of Ralph Pfluger Elementary School. Taylor was named Hays CISD Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2008-09.
The school board accepted the resignation of Lauri Schroeder, who took a principal position in Comal ISD after six years as assistant principal and principal of Buda Elementary. Interviews for a new school principal will take place before the end of the school year.
Last month, the school board unanimously approved the hiring of Donna Newman, currently the principal of Garner Middle School in North East ISD, as executive director of middle school performance and Tim Persall, current director of elementary programs in Canyon ISD, as the executive director of elementary school performance.
All personnel changes take effect July 1.
