Gregory-Portland ISD selects next T.M. Clark Elementary principal

Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·1 min read

Melinda Pena will serve as Gregory-Portland ISD’s T.M. Clark Elementary principal starting next school year.

The district announced its selection Tuesday.

Pena currently serves as the school’s assistant principal, a job she has held since 2018, a news release said. Former T.M. Clark Elementary School Principal Bobby Rister is retiring.

Melinda Pena will be T.M. Clark Elementary School's principal starting in the 2022-23 school year.
Melinda Pena will be T.M. Clark Elementary School's principal starting in the 2022-23 school year.

Pena was chosen through a selection process that included a survey sent to families and staff to determine a "principal profile." The profile indicated that the next principal should focus on student achievement, school safety, campus culture and teachers and staff.

Pena has 14 years of experience in education as a teacher, an instructional coach and an assistant principal. Pena, originally from San Benito, Texas, earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com. You can support local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here's the next T.M. Clark Elementary School principal in G-PISD