With the beginning of the 21-22 school year, Perry is receiving a new principal for the first time in the school’s history. Former Assistant Principal Heather Patterson is stepping up to replace Dan Serrano as the school’s principal. 

Patterson is an Arizona native who has been in the district since before Perry even opened its doors. Growing up in Mesa and graduating from Red Mountain High school, she received her masters’ in educational leadership. She completed student teaching at Hamilton in 2006 and taught there for four years before being hired as a dean by San Tan Junior High.

Patterson began her career at Perry in 2007, when the school first welcomed students into its halls. She has served as an assistant principal, with responsibilities including AVID, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, foreign exchange students, and many more. 

She follows former principal Dan Serrano, who recently moved into administration at the district level. Serrano was noted for his quiet demeanor and effective leadership, even being awarded principal of the year in 2019. Patterson is an exceptional replacement and intends to keep Perry running mostly as Serrano left it. When asked if she had any plans for major changes at Perry under her new leadership, Patterson replied that she felt the school is a “well-oiled machine” and so plans to keep policy mostly the same. 

After last year’s prom was canceled because of COVID-19 safety concerns, many students are wondering if they will see a school-sponsored prom this year. The school currently has plans for both homecoming and prom, including a planned prom venue for this year. As of the writing of this article, all school dances are still happening, but that may change in the future due to safety concerns. 

Another event delayed due to COVID-19 struggles, the installation of school hydration and water refill stations, is also back on track. The stations were initially promised during 2020 but were delayed due to district-wide demands for supplies and the opening of a new school. The school is currently negotiating, but Patterson hopes to have them installed within the next two weeks.

Students may notice the dress code being more strictly enforced this year, as the school seems to be normalizing. This is in line with the general change in rules enforcement, as circumstances are less exceptional so there may be less leniency in all rules across campus.

Above all Patterson says she’s in it for the kids and that “they’ve always been her favorite part of working in the district.” The school’s new principal is an exciting addition to Perry and looks to continue the high school’s legacy of qualified and effective administrators.