The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board unanimously approved the appointment of Kullen Welch as the new principal of Valencia High School and Thomas Flores as the new principal of La Mesa Junior High School, as well as James Webb as the new assistant principal at Rio Norte Junior High School.

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Kullen Welch, Mr. Thomas Flores and Mr. James Webb to their new positions in the district,” said Michael Vierra, Interim Superintendent of the Hart School District. “Each brings with them the advantage of considerable years of successful experience at multiple schools in the Hart District. We look forward to their work to further our efforts to ensure every student leaves our district ‘Opportunity Ready.’”

Kullen Welch

Before joining the Hart District, Welch began teaching and coaching in the Southern Kern Unified School District in 2003. He transitioned to the Hart District in 2004 where he taught physical education until 2018 at Hart, Arroyo Seco and Rio Norte. Welch also served as assistant principal at Hart High School beginning in 2018 and then later at Saugus High School prior to taking the helm as principal at La Mesa Junior High School in the fall of 2022. Welch has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education from The Master’s College and a Master’s Degree in Administration from the University of La Verne.

Thomas Flores
Flores began his career in education as a history and English teacher in 1997 and spent time in both the Fullerton and Saugus Union districts before coming to the Hart District. He has been with the Hart District since 2002, serving as a teacher at Placerita Junior High School for a number of years before acquiring significant administrative experience in the role assistant principal for a number of schools, including Rio Norte Junior High School, Golden Valley High School, Valencia High School, Sierra Vista Junior High School and La Mesa Junior High School. Flores has a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from California State University Los Angeles and a Master’s Degree in Educational Management from the University of La Verne.

James Webb
Webb has been with the Hart District since 2000 and has served in a variety of roles, including program specialist and induction director for the district and English teacher at Saugus and West Ranch high schools. He has also served as a consultant in teacher preparation for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and served as a board member for the Hart District from 2020 to 2023. Webb has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master’s Degree in English Education, both from Florida State University.

All three will officially begin their new roles on Thursday, Aug. 22.