Santa Barbara Unified School District hires new San Marcos High School principal, two other new administrators
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Unified School District has hired a new San Marcos High School principal to fill a seat left empty for just under a month, along with two other new administrators within the district.
Former Dos Pueblos High School assistant principal Dare Holdren will be replacing former San Marcos principal Dr. Kip Glazer, who announced her departure from the district in May.
Holdren is a San Marcos graduate himself and is a member of the school's Athletics Hall of Fame, according to district spokesman Nick Masuda.
"To have the opportunity to lead the school where I not only graduated from and taught for many years, and that both of my parents graduated from, at a time when I’m feeling professionally and personally ready to take on such a revered and important position, is an absolute honor and privilege,” Holdren said.
Holdren has spent more than 20 years with the district in different capacities and was the principal at Solvang School for two years.
He has a master's degree in education from Chapman University and a bachelor's degree in political science from Brown University.
The district also hired Dr. Lynne Sheffield to serve as the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary. She comes to the Central Coast from the Moreno Valley Unified School District where she was the director of student services.
She has also served as the director of student services in the Alhambra Unified School District and was the principal at high schools in Riverside and Perris for a combined eight years, according to Masuda.
"I was intrigued by the district’s vision and mission statements," Sheffield said.
"I saw evidence of the commitment to equity and inclusion through observing board meetings and the State of Our Schools address. It was very inspiring to see student involvement in the process and see the ‘student voice’ at work."
Sheffield has an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne, a master's of science in administration from Pepperdine University, a master's of arts in education from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California.
Daniel Dupont was also promoted to Santa Barbara Junior High School principal after serving as the assistant principal at Santa Barbara High School since 2019. He has eight years of experience as the assistant principal of curriculum between his time in Santa Barbara and El Dorado High School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.
“With 22 years experience in public education, as a Spanish teacher for 14 years, and the last eight years as an administrator, I am excited to join the SBJH Condor family to carry on the long tradition of amazing educational experiences that happen on campus every day," said Dupont.
"I look forward to getting to know the entire SBJH community well and (ensuring) that each student, staff member, and community member who comes to campus feel welcomed, seen, safe, and supported to help our students succeed wherever post-SBJH life takes them."
Dupont has a master's in educational leadership from Cal State Fullerton and a bachelor's in Spanish from UC Santa Barbara.
