By Traci Newell

Crane

Leslie Crane, principal of Covington Elementary School, will become the new principal for Blach Intermediate School effective July 1. Crane will replace 13-year Principal Arthur Harris, who died April 27.

“Knowing who Arthur was, he would want everyone to carry on,” Crane said. “I am going to carry on education at Blach.”

Crane has been a principal in the Los Altos School District for seven years. Before her appointment to Covington, she was principal at Oak Elementary School. A graduate of Blach Intermediate School herself, Crane began her career as a physical education and health teacher at Egan Junior High.

Before returning to the Los Altos School District, Crane’s experience was in middle school. She was a vice principal at La Entrada Middle School in the Los Lomitas School District.

“My desire has always been to go back to the middle school,” Crane said.

Superintendent Tim Justus announced the change in leadership in a letter sent home with students on Thursday.

“The assignment of Ms. Crane to the Blach principalship obviously results in a loss of exceptional leadership for Covington School,” Justus wrote. “Ms. Crane has been instrumental in bringing both teacher and parent leaders together to develop a very positive learning environment and a cohesive community for the children at Covington.”

“I’m very sad,” said Katie Roper, public relations coordinator for Covington PTA. “She has been an amazing influence at the school.”

“It has been a magical experience at Covington,” Crane said. “It will be hard to leave.”

“I am confident that Ms. Crane will do an exceptional job in her new role,” Justus wrote.

Justus plans to meet with teachers and parents from Covington over the next week to gather input on the characteristics and qualities they seek in a new principal. Justus said it is the district’s goal to introduce the new principal before the end of the school year.