Following the resignation of Mr. David Bills in November 2014, the Rocklin Unified School District began considering several qualified applicants to succeed him as RHS principal. At a district-wide meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, it was revealed that Rocklin High School’s own Mr. Davis Stewart would assume the coveted leadership role.

Stewart’s experience and familiarity around Rocklin High School ultimately set him apart from other applicants.

“He blew me away with his knowledge when he presented himself; to see that other side of him as an administrator and as a human being that cares,” said Tiffany Pelkey a RHS groundskeeper and member of the selection panel.

Stewart previously assumed a teaching role at RHS and gradually moved his way up to the administrative level, where he most recently served as Athletics Director and Assistant Principal.

“The principal needs to be very visible. As the Athletics Director, I was the face of the Rocklin High School community at many athletic events,” Stewart said of his previous experience.

Stewart’s previous employment as a teacher and long legacy of service on the RHS campus has led many teachers to support him as the new principal. Mr. Ryan O’Donnell, a social studies teacher at RHS, spoke before the school board moments before Stewart’s new position was affirmed.

“He [Stewart] is a passionate leader on our campus and he has been since he became a teacher. Our staff respects him; I don’t think I respect an educator more than Davis Stewart. He is going to do amazing things for Rocklin High School,” O’Donnell said.

Stewart also seeks to knit the RHS faculty together by involving teachers and other administrators in many decision-making processes.

“We have an incredible staff and my leadership style is a collaborative leadership style so I really like to bring in as many people in making decisions and in making things happen as I possibly can,” Stewart said.

Students as well as teachers can expect big things from the new principal in the 2015-2016 school year. His years of experience on campus have molded him into a leader who is dedicated to preserving the well being of RHS students.

“I am here to serve the Rocklin community and ensure that all students are put into a position where they can be successful,” Stewart said.

The departure of Bills is undoubtedly the end of an era. Nevertheless, Stewart’s priorities revolve around continuing and building upon Rocklin High’s legacy of academic and athletic excellence that it has always enjoyed.

“I’m honored, I’m humbled, and most of all I’m very excited about doing this,” Stewart said during a speech in front of the school board.