The Colorado Association of School Executives recently named Montezuma-Cortez High School Principal Jennifer Boniface this year’s Principal Rookie of the Year, citing her impact as a relatively new school leader at MCHS.
Vice Principal Brandon Thurston said the award is given yearly to new high school principals who exhibit exceptional qualities of leadership, creativity and results early on in their tenure while building trust, improving school culture and more.
“It means Dr. Boniface’s work is not just strong locally; it is being noticed and celebrated at the state level as a model for others. In a role that is often demanding and complex, this recognition affirms that her vision, hard work and heart for students are making a measurable difference,” Thurston said.
He said Boniface’s work in the high school has aided MCHS as it continues on a “powerful upward trajectory.”
“Dr. Boniface’s recognition shines a positive light on our entire community. It underscores that great things are happening in our classrooms, that our staff are supported and empowered and that our students are known, challenged and cared for,” Thurston said. “Her leadership helps create a school where high expectations, inclusion and strong relationships are at the center of everything we do.”
Boniface, who has been MCHS’s principal since 2023, grew up in Bayfield and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Fort Lewis College. She earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University, an education specialist degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is also a mother of four and her husband is a MCHS alumni.
She has worked in education for over 15 years with students from preschool to higher education. Prior to working at MCHS, Boniface was an English and drama teacher at Ignacio High School and adjunct professor at FLC and San Juan College.
“I am incredibly grateful for this honor and share this recognition with our amazing students, staff, families and community, whose support and hard work make MCHS such a special place,” Boniface told The Journal.
Under Boniface’s leadership, academic growth and attendance rates have been boosted and the high school was transitioned to a seven-period school day to lower classroom sizes and expand “graduation capacity,” Thurston said. MCHS celebrates academic successes and has also expanded concurrent enrollment options at Pueblo Community College.
He said the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 Board of Education recently celebrated Boniface’s state-level nomination and award.
“The accolade reflects the hard work being poured into the halls of MCHS,” he said. “Amid the evolving landscape of rural education, Dr. Boniface’s steady leadership has focused on collaborative problem-solving, actively building up a robust School Accountability Committee to bring parents directly into the strategy conversations.”
bduran@the-journal.com
