Turlock High School will have a new face leading the way come July as principal Gabe Ontiveros will be leaving this position to return to eCademy Charter at Crane at the end of the school year.
During the March 21 Board of Trustees meeting, TUSD superintendent Dana Trevethan recommended that Ontiveros be approved by the Board for the open position of eCademy Charter principal and coordinator of district independent and virtual studies.
Ontiveros served as eCademy principal from 2016 to 2017 before taking the helm at THS that same April. Prior to that, he was the assistant principal of curriculum and instruction at Turlock High, dean of students at Turlock High and assistant principal at Osborn Elementary.
“It will be a combination of these experiences that will allow Mr. Ontiveros to expand varied learning opportunities and environments for TK-12 scholars and families in our community,” Trevethan said.
The formal recommendation was proceeded by a unanimous vote.
“I feel very honored and excited,” Ontiveros said.
This year’s LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) process concluded that having a coordinator of independent and virtual studies was needed. As he returns to the eCademy, Ontiveros’ responsibilities will include coordinating the operation of district’s independent study and home school programs, supervising in-person and virtual instruction, and developing and expanding virtual learning opportunities.
“My primary goal is to work with the existing outstanding eCademy staff and together identify student and family needs seeking alternative education options,” he said. “Also, [I’ll] consider District student expansion opportunities, especially virtual, and collaborate with the district to increase student program options.”
In his six years as Turlock High principal, some things that Ontiveros said he is most proud of is reestablishing the school’s marching band and color guard after a 13-year hiatus alongside teacher and director, Sarah Carpenter; seeing the media arts program grow alongside teacher Jordan Serpa; helping get the school’s NJROTC program off the ground alongside Ret. Lieutenant Commander Carlos Montanez; and witnessing the many successes of the Bulldog athletics department.
Ontiveros will assume responsibilities at the eCademy on July 1. With just under three months left as principal, one of his final goals for Turlock High is to have an embedded intervention time approved and implemented for the following school years.
“We have been working the past year and a half on a proposal to add an embedded intervention time, Bulldog Boost, for additional student support during the regular school day. I have worked closely with our MTSS Committee on this proposal and it will go up for union in April. Many outstanding teachers and counselors on campus support this plan, as do many students. It would be nice to depart with this in place to start next school year,” he said.
“We have excellent kids at THS and they have all been resilient on what we’ve endured the past six years,” Ontiveros continued. “I am very excited to begin the next chapter of my professional journey at eCademy Charter, but I plan to fully support THS in any way I can from a distance. I love Bulldog Country and as we say here, ‘Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog.’”
