CTE High School has a new principal

Dr. Kristopher Johnson announced recently that he is leaving Volcano Vista High School to be the principal at the Career and Technical Education High School in Rio Rancho.

Johnson has been an administrator for nearly a decade and has spent the past three years at VVHS.

“The past three years, the teachers, staff, students, admin and community have opened their arms and hearts to me,” Johnson wrote in a statement. “I have connected to so many students and families and it is going to be hard to say goodbye.”

Johnson said he has been pursuing a job with Rio Rancho Public Schools in part because both of his sons attend schools in the district. This new job with CTE also fulfills a dream for Johnson.

“Since becoming an administrator eight years ago, my ultimate goal was to one day have my own school. Well, that day has come,” Johnson said.

Johnson has two master’s degrees in education and educational administration and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Texas. He is also a military veteran, having served 20 years in the United States Army.

“Rio Rancho Public Schools is excited to welcome Dr. Kristopher Johnson as the principal of the CTE High School,” RRPS Communications Director Wyndham Kemsley said. “Dr. Johnson is a phenomenal candidate with an extensive educational background that spans the last 13 years. We look forward to seeing continued progress and development of our CTE trades programs under his leadership.”

The new CTE Center, expected to open in fall 2024, will include specialized technical instruction that can culminate in post-secondary degrees or certificates, apprenticeships or workforce-ready employment. The RRPS Board of Education unanimously approved the purchase of the 74,000-square-foot facility for the CTE Center that formerly housed Alliance Data last year.

Currently, the district’s CTE programs cover 17 career clusters:

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
• Business, Management & Administration
• Education & Training
• Energy
• Finance
• Government & Public Administration
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, Sales & Service
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
• Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Within the above career clusters, RRPS offers more than 20 programs with plans to add more.

The district’s in-depth CTE programs teach students about soft skills, work ethic, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, safety and integrated technology, and provide an opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications.