The Park City School Board approved several key administrator positions for the 2025-26 school year on Tuesday.
Most of the employees aren’t new to the district. Instead, they’re reconfiguring their roles to better align with staffing changes resulting from grade-level realignment and retirements.
Caleb Fine, who is currently serving as the interim Career Technical Education director and previously served as interim superintendent until Lyndsay Huntsman was appointed to the role in January, was named as the new Park City High School principal.
Fine will succeed Roger Arbabi, who will depart from the School District this summer after seven years. Arbabi and many others in the audience cheered loudly when Fine’s new position was announced.
A 2004 Park City High School graduate, Fine previously served as principal of Treasure Mountain Junior High until he stepped in as interim superintendent last fall. He then took over the CTE directorship from Huntsman when she became the full-time superintendent. The pair started teaching in the School District in the same year.
“I had been hired as a teacher. They bring this guy into the room who looked like he was about 12 at the time. But I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve been colleagues, close friends,” Huntsman said.
Trailside Elementary School Principal Tracy Fike, who joined the School District in 2012, will take over the CTE director position from Fine starting in July.
“She’s turned that school around. They’re currently ranked as one of the top 10 elementary schools in the state of Utah,” Huntsman said.
Ben Mueller and Isaiah Folau became co-principals at Treasure Mountain in September when Fine moved to the district office.
Mueller, who’s been with the district since 2018, was selected to serve alongside Fine at the high school as an assistant principal. He’s also worked as a CTE teacher, focusing on computer science.
Current Park City High School Assistant Principal Jamie Weekes, who has been with the district since 2005, will transition to the transportation coordinator role next school year. She started with the district in 2005, leaving briefly before returning.
Meanwhile, Folau, a Class of 2012 graduate, will become the new Ecker Hill Middle School principal during the 2025-26 school year. He’ll replace Garret Rose, who is leaving the district for a different opportunity.
Huntsman highlighted Folau’s time as a student in the district — when she was an assistant principal and Fine as his student council advisor. Folau was hired in 2022.
Dan Gallery, who currently oversees the preschool program but also has experience as a teacher and special education coordinator, will be the assistant principal at Ecker Hill. Gallery has been with the district since 2013.
Ecker Hill Middle School Assistant Principal Missy Tschabrun will swap with Gallery and transition to the preschool coordinator position. She’s worked in the district since 2016.
Jeremy Ranch Elementary School will be led by Jacqie Spell starting this fall. She’ll replace longtime principal, Shawn Kuennen, who is retiring after 20 years in the position.
Spell taught at Parley’s Park Elementary School in 2011 and served as an instructional coach at Trailside Elementary School before leaving the School District to pursue a different opportunity. Now, Spell serves as the principal of Meadowlark Elementary in the Salt Lake City School District. She was excited to return to Park City.
The selection process included interviews, staff feedback as well as some input from a selection committee of district officials and parents, according to the School District. Some positions were filled through appointments.
The School District is still looking to hire a new Trailside Elementary School principal as well as two assistant principals in the high school and one assistant principal at Ecker Hill Middle School. The goal is to have the rest of the positions announced by the next board meeting on April 8.
“We’re confident in the depth of experience and expertise these leaders bring to their new positions,” Huntsman said in a prepared statement. “Together, we’ll build on our achievements while creating even greater opportunities for our students and community.”
The Board of Education invited the new administrators’ families to participate in the promotion ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments. Board members said it’s part of a new effort to change the culture in the district and create a more welcoming environment in the tight-knit community.
Since taking over as superintendent, Huntsman has had weekly check-ins with the district’s principals and has visited every building. She said in a March 14 meeting with The Park Record editors that she’ll continue meeting with staff, students and parents throughout the rest of the year.
Huntsman’s top three priorities are to rebuild trust both within the district as well as in the broader community, improve communication and have a visible presence. The School District also recently launched a feedback form for community members to provide their input and comments.