SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 12, 2024) – Tapping into the district’s deep pool of experienced education leaders, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board has appointed Melinda Splitek as Coronado High School’s next principal and Amy Hardy as Mountainside Middle School’s new principal.  The action was taken at the Board’s June 11 meeting.

Splitek is being elevated from her current position as Assistant Principal for Educational Services at Coronado, a post she has held since 2018.  Splitek said she can’t wait for the 2024-2025 school year to begin.

“I am honored and humbled to continue at Coronado High School in a new capacity,” she stated.  “I look forward to augmenting our signature programs, like the Concurrent Enrollment Partnership with Scottdale Community College, and expanding the Entrepreneurship Hub.”

“I am also excited to continue working with our community partners to make the Coronado Promise Scholarship program available to even more students.  Most importantly, I cannot wait to get to meet more of the Coronado community,” Splitek concluded.

Coronado’s new principal earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education degree with an emphasis in Secondary Education, English, from Arizona State University (ASU) in 2008, followed by a Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree eight years later, also from ASU.  She holds an Arizona Pre-K‒12 Principal certificate and a Secondary Education teaching certificate in English, with an SEI (Structured English Immersion) endorsement.

Splitek taught English Language Arts at Mountain Ridge High School in the Deer Valley Unified School District for nine years before coming to SUSD.  She also served as the school’s Professional Development Content Creator and Facilitator and as an instructional leader for three years.

Coronado High School, located at 7501 E. Virginia Ave., Scottsdale, is part of SUSD’s Coronado Learning Community, along with feeder schools Hohokam, Pima and Yavapai Elementary, and Tonalea Middle School. 

At Mountainside Middle School, Hardy returns to the Desert Mountain Learning Community, having previously served as an assistant principal at neighboring Desert Mountain High School from 2019-2022.  For the past two school years, she has been in charge of Educational Services as Assistant Principal at SUSD’s Chaparral High School.  Hardy began her education career in SUSD as a fourth-grade teacher.

“I’ll never forget taking my first job at Cheyenne Traditional School when I graduated from ASU 17 years ago.  I knew education and leadership was the career for me,” she declared.

“After serving as a teacher for eight incredible years, I’ve spent nine years in leadership in SUSD, including at Sequoya and Redfield Elementary schools, was principal of a K-6 school in Deer Valley, then was fortunate to return to Desert Mountain High School, where I helped lead its International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme accreditation process.” 

Hardy’s Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education comes from ASU.  Her Master of Education in Educational Leadership was earned through Northern Arizona University.  Hardy’s Arizona professional certifications cover teaching grades K-8 and being a Pre-K‒12 principal.

“I am excited about three things for the future of Mountainside Middle School,” Hardy explained.  “Nurturing the IB Middle Years Programme, honoring our talented students and staff, and partnering with our incredible community.”

Mountainside Middle School is located at 11256 N. 128^th St. in Scottsdale.

SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel is pleased with the results of the collaborative process with parents, staff, and the community that resulted in the new principals’ appointments.  “Part of being a world-class, future-focused education organization is providing opportunities for our employees to grow professionally and advance in their careers,” Menzel stated.  “I look forward to working with these dynamic, new school leaders.” 

 

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About the Scottsdale Unified School District
With more than 21,000 students in 30 schools, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has been a premier choice for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public education for 127 years. Located northeast of metropolitan Phoenix, the District serves the educational needs of students and families in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Tempe and Scottsdale. A highly experienced, professionally certified teaching staff fosters a diverse and rigorous educational environment that engages all students in world-class, future-focused learning. Offering gifted learning, special education, career and technical education, and a variety of athletics, arts and enrichment programs and clubs, SUSD provides the rich environment today’s students need to explore their interests, develop important social skills and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, visit www.susd.org and follow along on social media: Facebook: @ScottsdaleUSD, X: @ScottsdaleUSD, Instagram: @ScottsdaleUnifiedSD, LinkedIn and YouTube.