Krisse Kelly receives vote of confidence from Governing Board
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board has appointed Krisse Kelly to be Laguna Elementary School’s next principal, beginning July 1.
The decision came at the March 5 regular meeting of the Governing Board.
A longtime resident of the school’s Scottsdale Ranch neighborhood whose own children attended Laguna, Ms. Kelly says she’s thrilled to succeed interim Principal Alice Spingola.
“I chose to work here because Laguna is a special place to work, teach, and learn. Every member of our staff treats our students with the utmost respect, care, and love,” she said in a prepared statement.
Mr. Kelly is assistant principal at Laguna, a position she previously filled from 2019-2022. She has also been a second and fourth grade teacher at the school.
Laguna, 10475 E. Lakeview Drive in Scottsdale, is a STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — and Cognia STEM-certified school with 400 students, from toddlers through fifth grade.
In its most recent rankings, the Arizona State Board of Education awarded Laguna an “A” school letter grade for the 2022-2023 school year, according to a press release.
“We are elated to have Krisse on board as our newest SUSD principal,” said SUSD’s Executive Director of Elementary Education Margaret Serna, in a prepared statement. “She embodies the spirit of the Laguna learning community, and the roles she has played there – as a teacher, assistant principal, parent and past PTO president — make her uniquely qualified for this post.”
Mr. Kelly received a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also holds a master’s degree in administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills; and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in bilingual education from University of California, Santa Barbara.
“I am excited to continue many of our existing programs and also bring fresh, new ideas to Laguna,” Ms. Kelly said. “We have high standards for all students, and we help all of them achieve their goals every step of the way.”
