Sahuarita board appoints Carley Carillo assistant principal at Wrights and Ridge K-8

The Sahuarita Unified School District governing board voted to appoint Carley Carillo as assistant principal at Wrights and Ridge K-8.

Superintendent Dr. Manuel Valenzuela described the district's hiring process as a "large-scale search," saying the district received at least a dozen applicants, interviewed five or six candidates and used a committee-based screening that included in-basket exercises and presentations. The board moved, seconded and approved the appointment by voice vote.

Valenzuela characterized Carillo as a classroom teacher of eight years with strong instructional credentials who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and is scheduled to receive a master’s in education from Northern Arizona University in the coming weeks. He told the board, "People like you are the future of this district," and said committee members, administrators and community stakeholders gave her strong support in the selection process.

Carillo thanked the board and the community and said she appreciated the support of family members and colleagues who attended the meeting. Dr. Valenzuela and other board members framed the appointment as part of the district’s leadership-development efforts, mentioning the NAU leadership cohort the district uses to prepare teacher leaders for administrative roles.

The appointment takes effect according to district staffing procedures; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript, but the motion passed on a voice vote.

Next steps include administrative onboarding and transition planning at Wrights and Ridge K-8.