Denair High School has found its new principal, and they certainly didn’t have to look far to find her. During Denair Unified’s Feb. 8 board meeting, trustees voted to name Breanne Aguiar as the full-time principal at DHS, after having served as the school’s interim principal since the start of the current school year.

“I’m super excited to take on this new challenge and I appreciate the support and trust that everyone has in me,” Aguiar said.

Aguiar may be a familiar name and face to those in the Denair community, and even to some in Turlock. She is a 2012 graduate of Stanislaus State and served as a special education teacher in Turlock Unified. Aguiar made the jump to DUSD in 2016, teaching independent studies for Denair Charter Academy before eventually serving as principal of the campus. She would walk away from her position as principal soon after to serve as the district’s homeless and foster youth liaison, a job that allowed her to spend more time with her family.

Aguiar’s stint as the liaison didn’t last long, however, as she ended up taking the interim principal position after former principal Kara Backman informed the district that she would not be returning for the 2022-23 school year. When the district asked Aguiar if she would like to take the permanent position, she felt a responsibility to take on the challenge.

“The experiences I’ve had and the relationships I’ve built with the amazing staff and the students are great, it’s all been amazing, but I had to really think long and hard on it,” she said. “But you realize, somebody has to take this job for the sake of the school and the kids, and I think it really comes down to the time and energy and effort we put into this at the elementary level. We need to see the whole process of educating and graduating through. I look at the district as a well-oiled machine, and all parts need to be working, not just some, so helping the high school in a leadership role as best as I can is really important to me.”

And Aguiar’s passion for education couldn’t be clearer when discussing her family, as she is the mother of four young girls.

“Denair is truly home to me and my family,” she said. “Having my own kids and having already committed them to DECA (Denair Elementary Charter Academy), so this town and this district definitely has that family feel that I love so much. I came from a smaller school growing up in Livingston, and I know not every kid thrives in a bigger school setting, so I’m invested in this district and the success of our kids.”

These are qualities that superintendent Terry Metzger and other trustees recognized over the years.

“Mrs. Aguiar is an experienced, thoughtful leader who keeps students at the center of her work,” Metzger said. “We are all thrilled that she is leading the good work at Denair High School and appreciate her contributions to the district as a whole.”

Now with nearly eight months under her belt as DHS principal and the position appointed to her permanently, Aguair has made her goals clear.

“I want to make sure we keep making our programs better. We have a great sports program, lots of clubs on campus, and I just want to keep striving towards providing a quality education to our children,” she said. “I just encourage families to come check us out and be a part of our family here in Denair.”