![\"Rancho](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PRN-L-Kellie-Moore.jpg\")
Rancho Bernardo High Principal Kellie Moore. (Courtesy of PUSD)<\/p>\nIt is a return \u201chome\u201d for Rancho Bernardo High\u2019s new principal, Kellie Moore, who was its assistant principal from 2016 to 2021.<\/p>\n
Since then, she has been the principal of Mesa Verde Middle School in Rancho Pe\u00f1asquitos.<\/p>\n
If not for the opening at RB High being created when Principal Hans Becker was recently named the executive director of Poway Unified\u2019s Learning Support Services and Career and Technical Education, Moore said she had no intention of leaving Mesa Verde.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had planned to stay there longer, but this school (RB High) has my heart, as it feels like home to me,\u201d Moore said. \u201cWe have such a great environment that allows any student to thrive in their area of interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have high academics, competitive athletics and amazing performing arts,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is something for everyone. The teachers and staff care for the students, so it was a no-brainer that I would go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore said that while about half of the teachers were at RB High during her first tenure, there has been a lot of turnover among the assistant principals in recent years. Of the three assistant principals for the 2026-27 school year that starts on Thursday, two are new and one, Jonathon Walker, is starting his third year on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe staff needs stability and someone who knows the school, knows its history and has institutional knowledge,\u201d Moore said. \u201cAs the new principal with this knowledge \u2026 the staff can feel like they can trust that they are safe \u2026 and there is a system that is supportive for the students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore said she plans to see what is working well while also pushing the staff toward greater achievements.<\/p>\n
Rancho Bernardo High Principal Kellie Moore. (Courtesy of PUSD)<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to tap into that culture and traditions that are so valuable to this community, to find a good balance between pushing \u2026 but not necessarily moving into a new direction,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is elevating what has been done.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said due to knowing so many of the staff members, she is familiar with how they excel and how to tap into their strengths.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of our office staff is new and we have a ton of new eager teachers \u2026 whom I am super excited to meet as I am hearing good things about them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the contributions and interests of all \u2014 students, staff, parents and community members alike \u2014 is something Moore said she wants to expand upon.<\/p>\n
As of last week, at least 2,254 students were registered for the 2026-27 school year, she said, adding \u201cwe are growing\u201d after the student population dipped a bit following her first tenure at RB High. Moore said it is the second-largest high school in Poway Unified, following Del Norte High.<\/p>\n
Moore said she always tries to make decisions that are best for the students, realizing her decisions are not made in isolation. Parental involvement is very important and an important part of the school community, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want parents to know I am here for their kids, I care tremendously about their growth and individuality,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is not just their academics, but also their mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore said mental health and mitigating the negative impacts on it is among her priorities, which reflects her experiences and academic training.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew since I was a little kid that I wanted to be a teacher,\u201d Moore said. \u201cI had amazing history teachers all through school and loved the subject area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore started her career at Coronado High School, where she taught social sciences \u2013 primarily U.S. history and psychology \u2013 along with directing its Associated Student Body and being the campus\u2019 WASC coordinator. WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredits high schools and colleges.<\/p>\n
Despite her early draw to history, Moore said she majored in psychology at California State University, Fullerton, which was near where she grew up in Orange County. She later earned her master\u2019s degree in education and her teaching credentials from National University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not have the easiest childhood and school was my safe place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Seeing that she and her sister had very different school experiences, with her sister not receiving the support needed to help her, Moore said she wanted to gain insights into that by studying psychology.<\/p>\n
That is also why Moore said she left the classroom and transitioned into administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to help impact all students, not just those who want to be at school, so they can get something out of it,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
When she learned RB High was looking for an assistant principal with experience in the WASC accreditation process, she decided to apply.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt had a focus on school culture, equity and belonging, which was right up my alley,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
With her husband, Benji, originally from San Diego, the couple decided to live in North Park. They have a 13-year-old son, Parker; and 11-year-old twin daughters, Melia and Aisley.<\/p>\n
One way Moore said she plans to make herself approachable is by always keeping her candy bar \u2014 a cart featuring several jars of sweet treats \u2014 full. During her first time at RB High, she kept a bowl of candy on her desk that served as an incentive for students to stop by her office.<\/p>\n
At Mesa Verde, that bowl was replaced by a cart of candy jars, which has now been moved into her new office. Moore said it hopefully serves as the draw for people to stop by and have a conversation with her.<\/p>\n
As for conversation topics, a place to start might be some of her widely varied interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love true crime \u2014 TV shows, books and podcasts,\u201d she said. \u201cI enjoy mysteries and thrillers, but really love to read anything. I am on my 32nd book for this year and will try any genre.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have three dogs and a new kitten, so I love spending time with animals,\u201d she said. \u201cI love football. My husband turned me into a Chargers fan and we love the Padres. I am a big foodie and like to try different restaurants. My family sails \u2026 and I spend time with my kids doing their things. I am a soccer and dance mom.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is a return \u201chome\u201d for Rancho Bernardo High\u2019s new principal, Kellie Moore, who was its assistant principal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[36746,109216,74,76,75],"class_list":["post-430874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-poway-unified-school-district","tag-rancho-bernardo-high-school","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}