The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to name Melanie Hagman as the founding principal of Castaic High School.

Hagman is set to start as principal effective July 1, 2018.

“I’m honored to be named principal of Castaic High School and I look forward to getting to know the families of the Castaic community,” said Hagman. “I want to make our school something that they are proud of with unique programs that meet the needs of all of our students.”

Hagman is currently serving the Hart District as an assistant principal at Hart High School, where she has been for nearly seven years.

Hagman began her teaching career in 1996 at Byrd Middle School in the L.A. Unified School District before moving on to Granada Hills Charter High School as a counselor in 2001.

Hagman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA, two Master’s degrees from Cal State Los Angeles, as well as teaching, pupil personnel services and administrative credentials.

Castaic High School is scheduled to open in the Fall semester of 2019 to freshmen students of Castaic.

“As founding principal, Hagman will bring in staff, get the school up and going, which is why they are being selected more than a year before the school opens. The logistics of opening a school… there is just so much that is required,” said Dave Caldwell, spokesperson for the district.

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Hagman is set to have near-unilateral decision-making power at the school.

“They will have support from the district, obviously,” said Caldwell. “But it’s really their decision on how to handle (staff selection and schedule). They will not be directed by the district.”

Hagman was selected after multiple rounds of interviews and the gradual narrowing of the number of considered applicants, according to Caldwell.

“We want somebody with great leadership skills,” said Joe Messina, a member of the governing board. “They’re starting from scratch, we need somebody with the ability to build a team and deal with adversity.”

Hagman is set to need to build a grassroots community in the northern part of the Santa Clarita Valley to succeed, officials said.

“Most important is someone who truly understands how to bring a community together,” said Dr. Cherise Moore, another board member. “We want someone who values the importance of gathering input from all stakeholders to achieve the best possible solutions.”

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