Troy Fast is the new principal at Weston Ranch High School.

The Manteca Unified School District Board of Education made the announcement on Tuesday night that Fast, current the Vice Principal at Manteca High School, will now be at the helm of the district’s fourth comprehensive high school after the person previously serving in the role took an administrative job with Stockton Unified.

His first day on campus will be today.

Weston Ranch’s current vice principal, Brad Harrison, was also considered for the position.

Fast, the 2017 Association for California School Administrators Region 7 Co-Secondary Administrator of the Year, had served in his previous role at Manteca High School for three years, and was credited with helping to foster a sense of unity and community at the city’s namesake campus. He introduced and instituted the “Honor the Code” recognition program and played a leading role in facilitating the annual Unity Breakfast that brings campus from leaders from all three of the city’s high schools together in order to foster positive, healthy relationships across attendance boundaries and in fields or courts of play. Fast also contributed to the professional development at Manteca High School by instituting Professional Learning Communities – where teachers in specific disciplines collaborate in order to promote the best environment for student engagement and learning.

“We are incredibly focused on students achieving grade level standards, ensuring student safety in our schools, and continuing to support all students in their unique pathways to college and career,” Fast said in a statement after the announcement of his hiring was made public. “We will work together to create a climate that is student-centered.”

Fast has been a leader in education for the last 13 years, and is known for being accessible to students, parents, and staff in the role that he was previously serving in. One parent, according to a release distributed by Manteca Unified, said that Fast “is a man of character, and absolutely a man of his word” – something that when coupled with his “commitment, vision, and established track record will support a teach approach to cultivating a positive environment for students and placing them first.”

Because of its location in South Stockton – on the northwestern edge of the district – Weston Ranch presents unique challenges for administrators and educators and was the first comprehensive high school within the district that was not within the city limits of Manteca. Since its construction, the district has expanded into Lathrop – redrawing the district’s attendance boundaries – and both of the school sites foster a strong sense of community with the residents that they serve.

According to the release provided by the district, Fast will focus on that sense of community in his pursuits.

“His clear understanding of the challenges facing teachers and students created an environment that connected all to the school with a common purpose,” the statement reads. “A spirit of team work and school pride are key pillars in his leadership style.

“He will rely on the expertise of the teachers and their values as an integral part of the role they will play in the decision-making process.”

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.