While it remains somewhat of a mystery why its previous principal won’t be returning, the Los Alamitos Unified School District’s Board of Trustees announced this week that Cara Vienna has been selected to lead the school going forward.
According to a statement issued by the District this week, it became clear relatively quickly that as a long-time Los Al employee and a current Assistant Principal, Vienna was the right choice to replace outgoing Principal Christiana Kraus as Principal of Los Alamitos High School.
“Throughout the selection process, it became clear that Mrs. Vienna’s experience, collaborative leadership, and deep understanding of the Griffin community closely aligned with the qualities our Board, staff, students, families, and community identified as essential for the next principal of Los Alamitos High School,” said Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver in the statement.
“For more than two decades, Mrs. Vienna has led with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering focus on what is best for students. She is a trusted leader who has helped shape the positive culture of Los Alamitos High School, and I am excited to see our Griffin community continue to thrive under her leadership.”
Vienna, a district employee for the past 21 years, has led in a variety of roles throughout the system. According to the district’s statement, her first day as principal of Los Al High School was Monday, June 22.
“Mrs. Vienna has served in a variety of leadership and student support roles, including education specialist at Los Alamitos High School, SELPA Program Specialist assigned to Los Alamitos Unified, and assistant principal at both the middle and high school levels,” the district announced in the statement.
“Throughout her career, she has built strong relationships with students, staff, and families while demonstrating an unwavering commitment to student success and educational excellence,” it said.
The selection process included multiple rounds of interviews and valuable input from the Board of Education, staff, students, families, and community members through a principal input survey, the statement said.
As Assistant Principal, Mrs. Vienna has played an instrumental role in strengthening academic programs, expanding student wellness initiatives, enhancing support for students with special needs, increasing college and career readiness opportunities, and fostering a school culture where every student feels supported, challenged, and connected.
Her leadership has been recognized at the district, state, and national levels. Mrs. Vienna was named Los Alamitos Unified School District Administrator of the Year, ACSA State Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year, and most recently represented California as the state’s nominee for the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Assistant Principal of the Year.
Vienna is expected to hit the ground running, having served as an Assistant Principal for the past five years.
As she prepares to begin this next chapter, Mrs. Vienna looks forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting many of Los Alamitos High School’s incoming Griffin families, the district said in the statement.
“She will welcome families during 9th Grade Registration on Thursday, July 30, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and will be formally introduced as Principal at the Tuesday, August 4, Board of Education meeting,” it concluded.
She succeeds Kraus, whose departure from the district after five years was noticed only by vague paperwork at a closed session meeting on June 23 that indicated the Board would be discussing a potential dismissal. Employee matters are rarely made public due to legal and privacy concerns.