Rast Named Simi High’s Principal

Better known for chatting with parents at soccer games and talking to students between classes than doing office paperwork, Dennis Rast has been selected principal of Simi Valley High School.

A 30-year veteran of the Simi Valley Unified School District, Rast has served as the school’s acting principal since Kathryn Scroggin left the post in July to become the district’s assistant superintendent for instructional services.

An assistant principal for two decades, Rast was tapped at a school board meeting Tuesday. His new salary, which is not yet finalized, will be about $70,000 a year, he said.

“The most honest thing I can say is that I plan to continue the school’s fine direction. . . . I’m real biased--I think my students are the greatest,” said Rast, who touted his school’s Academic Decathlon team, which just won the county championship.

Before becoming an administrator, Rast, 53, taught math at Simi Valley and Royal High schools. He became a department chairman, activities director and dean before becoming an assistant principal at Simi Valley High in 1976. Rast taught math courses at San Fernando State College--which today is Cal State Northridge--and Moorpark College.

Through it all, Rast says, he tailors his 12- and 13-hour days to spend the maximum amount of time with the school’s 2,550 students.

“I’m very people-oriented and passionate about having kids, parents and the community feel good about their school and what’s going on in their lives related to school,” he said.

A married father of five children, ages 19 to 27, Rast holds degrees in mathematics and education from Cal State Polytechnic and another in administration and counseling from Cal State Northridge.

With new ninth-graders setting foot on Simi High’s campus for the first time, Rast has overseen the school district transition from three- to four-year high schools. When the Northridge earthquake devastated Simi Valley High, he worked to return things to normal.