VENTURA : High School Names 3 Assistant Principals

Completing the shake-up of the Ventura High School administration that began this spring, the Ventura school board on Tuesday named three new assistant principals for the school.

Sylvia Camiel, a counselor at high school in Santa Barbara County; Larry Emrich, an assistant principal from Fillmore high School, and Larry Koontz, a counselor at Ventura High, will take over as assistant principals at the school on July 1.

They are replacing Assistant Principals Helena Torres-Reaves, Diane Wootton. and acting assistant principal Robert Beem. Beem will continue to help out with administrative duties while working as a vocational education teacher at the high school.

The appointees will serve under a newcomer to Ventura High, Hank Robertson, the current principal of Balboa Middle School who is moving to the high school July 1 to replace Jerry Barshay in the top spot.

Supt. Joseph Spirito announced in March that he was transferring Barshay and his assistant principals to other posts in the district as part of an effort to improve Ventura High’s public image.

The purpose of the moves, Spirito said, is to install a management team skilled at dealing with the media.

Ventura High’s image has been tarnished in recent years by several highly publicized incidents, including the stabbing death of Ventura High student Jesse Strobel and the conviction of football coach Harvey Kochel for having sex with a minor.

This year, the school district suspended Ventura High swim coach Dale Hahn on allegations that he had sex with students.

The district has transferred Barshay to an administrative position in the district’s adult education program.

Torres-Reaves will become principal at Balboa, and Wootton, who has been at Ventura High for 29 years, is retiring.