HUNTINGTON BEACH : Principal to Leave Post for District Job

The new school year begins today at Huntington Beach High School, but it is losing its top administrator.

Principal John Myers, who left as Ocean View High School’s principal to take over the Huntington Beach job this year, has tentatively accepted an administrative job in the school district’s central offices.

If the school board approves the move as expected next week, Myers will become the Huntington Beach Union High School District’s assistant superintendent for instruction. That position has been vacant since George Block resigned a year ago.

The move will also prolong the administrative transition at Huntington Beach High School, which started when Myers was named principal in July.

The district, which next week will begin interviewing candidates to replace Myers, expects to fill the post by the end of the month, Supt. David Hagen said Wednesday. To help ease the transition, Myers will stay on as principal until a successor takes over, Hagen added.

“I’ve been told to give 120% at Huntington Beach High School and not to set foot in the district job until we get a new principal here,” Myers said Wednesday.

Myers, who has spent the summer planning the new school year under his administration, acknowledged that he is leaving at an inopportune time.

“I have to say I have mixed emotions about this,” he said. “But the opportunity at the district is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. A job like that just doesn’t open up very often.”

Because Myers temporarily will be remaining at the school’s helm, Hagen said he is confident that Huntington Beach’s second change of command within three months will be smooth.

“Obviously, it will mean an interruption,” Hagen said. “But fortunately, John will still be in the school district, so he will be able to assist the new principal.”

Trustee Jerry Sullivan said he plans to vote against the promotion of Myers at next Tuesday’s meeting.

“I think he belongs at Huntington Beach High School,” he said. “He’s a hell of a good principal, and I think he belongs there . . . not in the district office.”

Sullivan, however, said he believes that he will be casting the lone dissenting vote against the move.

Myers’ imminent departure from Huntington Beach High marks the latest in an active round of musical chairs among the district’s six high school principals.

The changes began at the end of last school year, when Mike Kasler left as Fountain Valley High School’s principal to become an assistant superintendent in the Monrovia School District. To fill his spot, Huntington Beach High School Principal Gary Ernst moved to Fountain Valley High, and Myers was switched from Ocean View to Huntington Beach.

Carla Rush, who had been an assistant principal at Marina High School, was promoted to principal at Ocean View.