Appointment effective July 1
Erin del Castillo has been named the new principal of Riverview High School (RHS), effective July 1, pending School Board approval, the Sarasota County School District has announced.
Del Castillo is serving as principal of Venice Elementary School, where she has worked as an administrator since 2016, a news release explains. She will be returning to Riverview, where she was an assistant principal from 2010 to 2015 and oversaw the teen parent program and Head Start initiatives, along with supervising the English and reading departments, the release adds.
Del Castillo’s appointment follows the departure of Paul Burns, who left RHS in December 2017 to take a position with the Florida Department of Education, the release explains. Kathy Wilks has been serving as acting Riverview principal during the transition and will remain in that post through the current school year, the release notes.
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring Erin back to Riverview High School,” said Superintendent Todd Bowden in the release. “There were many qualified applicants for the position, but Erin’s strong affinity with the high school and previous work experience make her an exceptional candidate to fulfill this role.”
“Riverview High School is a dynamic institution that blends academic excellence with a variety of opportunities for students to pursue their passion in and out of the classroom,” noted Del Castillo in the release. “I am honored for the opportunity to lead such an incredible school and look forward to collaborating with the Riverview community to help every student reach his/her highest potential.”
In addition to her positions at Venice Elementary and Riverview, Del Castillo previously was an assistant principal at Pine View, the district’s gifted magnet school. There, she oversaw all elementary teachers, families, programs and discipline for grades 2-5, the release says.
She holds a Master of Science in educational leadership from the University of West Florida and a Bachelor of Arts in English and communications from the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, the release adds.
The school district staff will begin a search this spring for a new principal at Venice Elementary, the release notes.