Interim principals move into permanent roles at Fossil Ridge, Poudre Community Academy
Fossil Ridge High School’s principal is no longer interim.
Poudre School District announced Wednesday that Mark Barry, who has served as interim principal since July 1, has been hired to the position on a permanent basis, effective immediately.
The district also removed the interim tag from co-principals Danielle Hir and Lucas Riojas at Poudre Community Academy, making those positions permanent.
Barry has worked at Fossil Ridge for 18 years. He was named interim principal when Julie Chaplain left at the end of the 2022-23 school year to become one of the district’s three assistant superintendents. Fossil Ridge has more than 2,000 students in grades 9-12.
“Mr. Barry is a strong instructional leader who has earned the trust of the Fossil community,” PSD Superintendent Brian Kingsley said in a news release. “His collaborative, strategic approach to leadership is to be celebrated, and I know he will continue to work with students, staff, parents and guardians, and community partners to further Fossil’s history of belonging, connection and high performance.”
Before coming to Fossil Ridge, Barry taught in five states and three countries. He was a school principal in Alaska earlier in his career and helped his school district there win the Malcolm Baldridge Award for excellence in education.
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“I am honored to be selected as the ongoing principal for Fossil Ridge High School,” Barry said in the news release. “I take this role seriously and will be my all every day to ensure that our students have access to the best teachers and programs available.”
Barry holds a bachelor’s degree in social science and master’s degree in educational leadership from Colorado State University. He and his wife, Mary, a language arts teacher at Timnath Middle-High School, have twin children, Fawn and Clark, who are juniors at Fossil Ridge.
Hir and Riojas took over in July as co-principals at Poudre Community Academy to replace Troy Krotz, who left after 14 years to become principal at Wellington Middle-High School. Hir had been a dean at the school, while Riojas had served as the assistant principal and athletic director.
PCA, which was part of a controversial consolidation plan that was put on hold last month by PSD, is an alternative high school that had 268 students in grades eight to 12 last year, according to Colorado Department of Education enrollment data.
“Danielle and Lucas are strong partners and student-focused leaders in their school community,” Kingsley said in a news release. “Their talents and skills complement one another, and I am confident that they will continue to work with the community to build and grow Poudre Community Academy’s vibrancy.”
Before becoming dean, Hir served as a math teacher, coach and coordinator of a multitiered system of support, Pride affinity group facilitator and summer camp program for students to catch up.
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She has a bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Iowa and a master’s in educational leadership from Western Governors University. Hir’s wife, Brittany Staie, is a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
“PCA is more than just an alternative high school experience,” Hir said in a news release. “It is a home away from home, a safe place to be yourself and a dedicated staff that will always believe in our students. I’m grateful to lead our team as we continue to evolve with our community.”
Riojas has worked in PSD schools since 2002, serving in a variety of teaching, coaching and administrative roles at Boltz and Webber middle schools, Poudre High School and PCA. He also has worked at Highland High School in Ault.
Riojas has a bachelor’s degree in technical journalism and master’s degree in educational leadership from CSU and a master’s degree of business administration in sports management from Northcentral University in Arizona. He and his wife, Liz, a nursing supervisor at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, have two children, Max and Marlie, who attend Laurel Elementary School.
Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fossil Ridge High School, Poudre Community Academy hire principals
