Dave Lohman receives Continuation Principal of Year honor

For the past 14 years, at least one Ramona Unified School District administrator has been honored at the regional Honoring Our Own celebration, Superintendent Robert Graeff told school trustees at their February meeting.

“Well, let’s make that 15 years in a row,” Graeff said.

Montecito High School Principal Dave Lohman is this year’s Continuation High School Principal of the Year “for all of San Diego and Imperial counties,” Graeff announced.

The award comes from the Association for California School Administrators.

With about 1,000 administrators in the two counties, “we’re very honored that Dave received this recognition,” said Graeff.

Montecito High received a sparkling WASC (Western Association of Schools & Colleges) review last year and recognition as a model continuation high school this winter, said Graeff.

“Dave’s commitment to high school students and his extraordinary leadership at Montecito and Future Bound (independent study) over the past three years is well-known,” Graeff said in an email to district employees.

Montecito High and Future Bound are two of the district’s alternative high school education programs. Many positive things are happening in both programs, “and there’s a team that makes that happen, but there’s a principal in charge of that team, and so we’re delighted that Dave’s getting that recognition,” Graeff said.

Before going to Montecito High, Lohman was assistant principal at Ramona High School.

About 600 people attend the annual Honoring Our Own event, Graeff said. The dinner celebration this year will be at Harbor Island on April 24.

In a friendly exchange after the announcement, Graeff asked Lohman not to wear his wide-brimmed “10-gallon hat” to the celebration, “but you do what you have to do.”

“Can I wear my boots?” asked a smiling Lohman.

“You can wear your boots,” responded Graeff.