“Lead by example.” Those are the three words new Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) Principal Ed Gomez used to describe his leadership style. From showing up everyday with an enthusiastic and positive attitude, to maintaining accountability and accepting constructive criticism, Gomez is determined to set a positive precedent for the community he hopes to pilot.
Leadership changes can be a turbulent time for all who are involved. Many members of the SBHS community may find themselves asking the same question: ‘what can we expect from this new principal?’ Gomez’s goals for the year seem to be mostly rooted in two main things: approachability and recognition.
“We have a lot of people who are doing great work, and I just wanna recognize that every opportunity we have,” said Gomez. He feels that if so much energy is going to be put into correcting students who are tardy, for example, the school must also be better at recognizing those who are doing a good job. Therefore, increased student and staff recognition will be at the top of Gomez’s list of things to implement going into this school year. He also aims to build on the great programs already available at SBHS to help students really find their niche.
Gomez strives to make himself available to both students and staff for questions, concerns, or just to talk. He plans to continue the weekly staff lunches, now in room 61, put in place by previous Principal Fred Razo as a way to foster community and collaboration between him and his colleagues.
“I think for both students and staff, I just wanna be accessible and be a good listener,” he said. “I would hope that students feel comfortable enough to come up to the principal [or] come into the office.”
Gomez notes that his predecessor, Mr. Razo, left a lasting impression on the SBHS campus due to his warmth and welcoming demeanor. Gomez admires these qualities, and he hopes to embody them during his time spent as principal. While he doesn’t consider himself a “cold person,” Gomez says that he is probably a bit more “hung-up on the details” than Razo.
“Like anybody else in a new position, there’s a learning curve,” said Gomez. He described his time as assistant principal as having “a piece of the pie,” whereas now, the increased workload has proven to be a bit of a challenge. The never-ending slew of emails and phone calls has made Gomez even more grateful for his “outstanding” administrative team and steadfast district support. “I’m learning every day and I’m creating different strategies to try and be as efficient as possible,” he said.
At the start of July 2025, Gomez was officially named the new principal of SBHS following the retirement of Fred Razo. For two years prior, Gomez served as assistant principal, but his history in education extends far beyond that. He has been an administrator for the Santa Barbara Unified School District since 2019, and taught social science and P.E. for 27 years, 20 of which he spent at Santa Paula High School. He also served as a dean at La Cumbre Junior High and La Colina Junior High before joining the SBHS team in 2023.
