Julia Cooper named new principal of Columbine Elementary School

Julia Cooper has been named the new principal of Columbine Elementary School, the St. Vrain Valley School District announced Wednesday.

Cooper, who will replace outgoing principal Audrey Seybold, is set to begin her new position in July.

Cooper made remarks to the St. Vrain Valley School Board during its regular meeting Wednesday.

“I’m so excited to be here and to be welcomed into this community,” she told the board. “I have lived here for two years and my kids go to St. Vrain, and I knew after seeing their experience that this was a district that I wanted to be a part of. And so when the position at Columbine came up, that was my first choice — it’s exactly where I wanted to be. So I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with the community and be a part of this team.”

Cooper most recently served for several years as both assistant principal, then principal of Helen Lehman Elementary School in Santa Rosa, California. From 2016 to 2018, she served as teacher on special assignment supporting professional development for the Santa Rosa City School District’s collaborative curriculum design teams. From 2006 to 2016, Cooper taught English at Maria Carrillo High School in the same district.

Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts from Sonoma State University in California. She obtained her Administrative Services Credential in California in 2019 and will be seeking a transfer of that credential to Colorado.