Great Oak High School Gets New Principal

Effective Monday, Great Oak High School has a new principal.

Long-time Principal Joe Balleweg has accepted as position as an administrator on special assignment in the Support Services Division at the Temecula Valley Unified School District's main office.

"His focus will be more on the common core standards during this school year," said Temecula Valley Unified Spokesperson Melanie Norton.

Balleweg announced his move to the staff on Friday, Aug. 17, according to Norton.

Fortunately, district officials said, Balleweg had someone ready and willing to step into his shoes. His predecessor, Keith Moore, is not new to campus.

Moore served as a counselor at Great Oak from 2004 to 2005 after working as a counselor at Rancho Vista High School—the district's continuation high school—since 2002, according to Norton.

Moore, whose wife teaches at Abby Reinke Elementary in Temecula, left in Sept. 2005 to work as principal at an elementary school in the Hemet Unified School District. He was re-hired in the Temecula district in Aug. 2009—again as a counselor at Great Oak, Norton said.

In January 2010, Moore was promoted to assistant principal at Great Oak, and will serve as principal beginning Monday, Norton said.

Balleweg and Moore spent the past week ensuring Moore was acclimated for the position, Norton said.

The assistant principal position Moore is leaving vacant will be filled by Ingrid Taylor, who previously worked as a teacher on special assignment at the high school, according to Norton.

The reassignments were approved at Temecula Valley Unified's school board meeting Tuesday, Aug. 21, Norton said.