High School Gets a New Principal

Anna Merriman said she is quite enthusiastic about being selected as the incoming principal at Moorpark High School beginning this fall.

“My feet haven’t hit the ground yet,” she said. “It’s an exceptional school, and it’s an honor to be chosen as principal.”

Merriman was selected during a special school board meeting Wednesday night. She will fill a vacancy created in May when district officials decided not to renew the contract of former Principal Max Friedman.

Board member Greg Barker has seen firsthand what Merriman can do, having worked many years with her at Thousand Oaks High School, where he is a teacher and Merriman served as an attendance officer.

Supt. Tom Duffy recommended Merriman to the school board after a lengthy interview process that included her being reviewed by two panels of community members and school officials.

Merriman said the interviews reassured her that she was the right person for the job.

“I felt very good when it was done, because I felt I knew exactly what they wanted, and what they wanted was what I was going to be able to deliver,” she said.

Merriman spent seven years as an assistant principal in Ventura County, including two at Simi Valley’s Royal High School, and was chosen largely for her experience and standing within the education community, said David Pollock, school board president.

“She had a remarkable set of credentials, she has experience as a teacher, a counselor and attendance officer,” he said. “She has a background in physical education, and as an administrator, she has a sterling reputation.”

The Moorpark Unified School District is still seeking a principal to fill an opening at Peach Hill Elementary School, after Carlos Pagan left to take a position in Northern California. Pollock said the board hopes to have a candidate named by its June 29 meeting.