Ten months after receiving a statewide middle-school principal of the year award, a local Texas educator has emerged as one of three finalists for a similar honor at the national level.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals is eyeing Colleyville Middle School principal David Arencibia as a possible winner of its principal of the year award.
Arencibia started his career in school administration at Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD) back in 2016 and won awards for his service as an assistant principal before being elevated to run Colleyville Middle.
GCISD Superintendent Robin Ryan praised Arencibia, stating that the principal has “done a tremendous job.”
“He’s somebody that has a vision and communicates that vision to students and to parents and to staff members,” said Ryan.
Many others, including his students, have spoken extensively of Arencibia’s outstanding work in the school.
An eighth-grader, Addie Gormley, who first enrolled at Colleyville Middle as an online student during its COVID-19 lockdown, said Arencibia always thinks about his students when making decisions about improving the school.
Commenting on his statewide award and his finalist designation for the federal prize, Arencibia stated:
“Personally, I know that we have some of the best students, teachers, support staff, and community in the country, and this recognition is a direct reflection of their excellence. I am humbled to represent the state of Texas and the Grapevine-Colleyville community as the TASSP Middle School Principal of the Year and Texas nominee for National Principal of the Year.”
For its part, Dallas ISD did not have a single contender in the running for the award Arencibia won last year. Neither does it have a single contender in this year’s prospective lineup for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principal’s best high school and best middle school in Texas awards.
