Iglesias named new FUHS principal

After a unanimous vote in closed session by the Fallbrook Union High School District Board of Trustees, recently hired FUHSD Superintendent Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez announced that a familiar face was appointed to become Fallbrook High’s next principal.

Dr. Narciso Iglesias, who has spent almost two years as Principal of Alternative Education at Ivy Continuation High School and Oasis Independent Study School, will assume his new role immediately.

“Yes,” Garza-Gonzalez said. “So excited about that.”

Dr. Iglesias previously worked at Fallbrook High as a House Principal for a year and a half, from 2016 to 2017.

“I am excited, yeah,” Dr. Iglesias said. “I shared with the board right now that I am absolutely humbled and honored at the same time to take on, um, this humongous, enormous task of educating our youth. And so, I'm super excited.

“But I know that it's not just a one-man show. I know it's gonna take a team. And so for me, I'm very conscientious of that and while I'm well-prepared, I stay humble because I know I need all staff members and teachers to come along.”

Dr. Iglesias graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School in 1989 before obtaining an associate degree in psychological and social services from Palomar College in 1994 and earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Cal State University San Marcos in 1996.

Dr. Iglesias earned his Masters in Education from CSUSM in 2002 with an emphasis on bi-literacy, language, and culture, and he earned his Doctor of Education degree from the University of California at San Diego in 2009.

Prior to coming to Fallbrook, Dr. Iglesias served as the Director of Integrated Student Supports at the Escondido Union School District for almost two years and was the Community Day School principal.

From 2011 to 2014, he was the principal of Alternative Educational Programs at Perris Union High School District for The Academy Community Day School, Perris Lake Continuation High School, Perris Community Adult School, and Independent Study Program/Options.

He spent a year as principal of Borrego Springs Elementary, Borrego Springs Middle School, Borrego Springs High School, Palm Canyon Continuation High, Santa Rosa Community Day School and director of Title III/English Learner programming and testing.

Before that, he spent more than six years with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District and served as the dean of students and assistant principal at Elsinore High School, was a middle school principal, and the Alternative Educational Center Principal.

From 1998 to 2004, he was a teacher with the Orange County Department of Education and worked with the San Diego County Office of Education from 1992 to 1993.

Dr. Iglesias said that as a North County native, he considers the opportunity to lead in Fallbrook to be a long-term endeavor.

“I'm home, it's been well over three years and this opportunity, I don't take it lightly,” he said. “I thought it over a lot when I applied and I interviewed, so for me, I'm a North County resident.

“I'm not going anywhere and that's why I'm here because I'm committed, I'm committed to our school.”

Dr. Iglesias takes over the role previously held by Dr. David Farkas who announced on June 18 that he would be resigning in an email sent to Fallbrook High stakeholders.

“I want you to know that I am in the process of accepting a promotion and will most likely not be returning to our wonderful school,” Dr. Farkas wrote in the release. “It is not easy for me to say goodbye because Fallbrook is such a special place. This new opportunity presented to me is one that doesn’t come along too often, so I need to pursue it.”

Dr. Farkas assumed the job in late 2017 replacing embattled principal Larry Boone, who abruptly submitted his resignation Nov. 8, 2017, citing "urgent personal matters."

Boone had held the principal position since July 2015.

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].