Desert Mountain High School Principal Position
To Be Filled By Internal Candidate

Copper Ridge Middle School Principal Brian Corte is being recommended for the principal position at Desert Mountain High School. His appointment to the high school post is expected to be on the agenda for the February 5 meeting of the Governing Board.

"Brian will bring energy, enthusiasm, and a real commitment to Desert Mountain students and the Desert Mountain community," said Superintendent Barbara F. Erwin.

If approved by the Board, Mr. Corte is expected to transfer to Desert Mountain once a replacement is named at Copper Ridge. It is expected that the middle school position will be posted immediately upon Board action, said Kim Cumby, executive director for Human Resource Services.

Ms. Cumby also noted that Desert Mountain High School Deputy Principal Dan Coombs was offered the principal position, but declined.

Mr. Corte started his career at Scottsdale Unified School District in 1993. He has taught physical education at Tonalea Elementary and Kiva Elementary schools, Mohave Middle School, and Coronado High School. In 1998 he became an assistant principal at Coronado, and stayed in that position until the beginning of the current school year, when he was named principal at the new Copper Ridge Middle School.

Mr. Corte has a master of arts degree in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor of arts degree in education from Arizona State University.

Desert Mountain High School, built in 1995, is the largest of the District's five high schools, with more than 2,400 students. Its current principal, Herman Serignese, had previously announced his retirement at the end of this school year. Mr. Serignese had been principal at Desert Mountain since 1998, and previously served 10 years as principal at Saguaro High School.

The Scottsdale Unified School District has 34 school facilities serving more than 27,000 students. More than 3,000 persons are employed by the district, including 1,829 teachers. The district celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996. The District's boundaries include most, but not all of the city of Scottsdale, all of the town of Paradise Valley, a section of the city of Phoenix, and a section of the city of Tempe.
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