Posted: 25-Mar-26
Location: La Cañada, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $153,653-$178,088 w/ incentive
Salary Details:
Preferred Education:
Description of Position: La Cañada Unified School District seeks an exceptional instructional leader to serve as High School Principal. This is an outstanding opportunity to lead a high-performing school community with a strong tradition of academic excellence, student engagement, and community support. The High School Principal is responsible for the planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of all programs for students in grades 9-12.
Position highlights are:
- Leads a high-achieving, student-centered high school with strong academic outcomes.
- Collaborates with an engaged and supportive parent community.
- Works within a district known for excellence, stability, and innovation.
- Serves in a leadership role where decision-making is close to the classroom and directly impacts student learning.
- Benefits from a district structure that prioritizes focus, coherence, and meaningful site-level leadership.
La Cañada Unified School District offers a distinctive leadership environment where principals are empowered to lead, supported by a cohesive district team, and able to make a direct and meaningful impact on students and staff. With a district enrollment of approximately 4,000 students, leaders are able to engage deeply in their school communities and maintain strong, visible connections with students, staff, and families.
The residential community of La Cañada Flintridge is located in the foothills approximately 13 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The community is composed primarily of professionals in business, science, and the arts, and is home to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. La Cañada High School serves both junior high and senior high students on a shared campus, with a dedicated administrator overseeing grades 7–8, allowing the high school principal to focus on grades 9–12 programs, staff, and student outcomes.
Salary: The annual salary range for this position is $153,653 to $178,088 (2025–2026), or $12,804.41 to $14,840.69 per month, based on a 12-month work year. The District is committed to attracting highly qualified candidates and may offer placement above the initial step for individuals with a demonstrated record of successful leadership experience, including experience as a high school administrator, evidence of improving student outcomes, and a history of effective staff supervision and organizational leadership.
Administrators are eligible to earn annual performance-based incentives aligned to measurable outcomes and leadership impact. The District further invests in its leaders by providing up to 3% of salary to support ongoing professional learning and growth. Comprehensive support includes cell phone and mileage stipends to ensure administrators are well-equipped to meet the demands of the role. Certificated administrators are compensated on a monthly basis, with salary issued on the final workday of each month.
Signing Incentive: To support recruitment and continued leadership in the role, the selected candidate will be eligible for a $5,000 signing incentive, structured as follows:
- $2,000 payable upon successful completion of the first year of service.
- $3,000 payable upon completion of three consecutive years in the position.
Continued service in the principal role is required for each payment. If the new employee leaves the District prior to being granted permanent status, the remainder of the installments will be forfeited and not paid to the individual. If the employee leaves employment with the District before the end of the school year in any year that the bonus has been granted, a prorated portion of the current year’s bonus amount will be deducted from the employee’s final paycheck equal to the percentage of the remaining school year.
Benefits: LCUSD offers excellent medical benefit plans and contributes up to $20,406 to an employee’s benefits package annually. The benefits year runs October 1 to September 30. If not already a member, the new employee will be enrolled in the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS).
Work Year: 12-month calendar, 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Hours in the evenings and on weekends may be required. The selected candidate will start in the position on July 1, 2026, provided that the background clearance is confirmed. Students begin school on Thursday, August 13, 2026, and the last day of the school year will be Thursday, June 3, 2027. The high school is in session 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. with a block schedule on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Ideal Candidate:
- Demonstrates a proven ability to maintain exceptional student outcomes while strategically advancing growth and excellence across all student groups.
- Exhibits strong instructional leadership and staff development skills.
- Builds positive, collaborative relationships with staff, students, and families.
- Brings experience navigating complex school environments with clarity and integrity.
- Required: Holds a valid California teaching credential and valid California administrative credential.
- Required: Holds a Master's Degree or higher.
- Required: Has at least five (5) years of successful teaching experience, and at least five (5) years of successful school administrator experience.
Application Deadline: 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Application Procedure: Candidates may submit an administrative application through the posting on EdJoin (www.edjoin.org/lcusd). Please include an introduction letter, a resume, references with contact information, a copy of a valid California Administrative Services credential, and at least three (3) current letters of recommendation.
After the screening of all applications, selected candidates will be contacted regarding a personal interview. Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the application deadline. The interview process will be in person and may include a written appraisal. Call back interviews may be conducted with finalists.