Rojas, principal of Emerald High School, resigns months after the first school year opens

Dublin’s brand new high school is already in the midst of a leadership change at the top, as founding principal Francis Rojas suddenly resigned from Emerald High School on Thursday.

Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Chris Funk confirmed the news in an email to the school community the same day. He told staff and families that Emerald Assistant Principal Lenni Velez is poised to become the next permanent principal pending ratification by the Board of Trustees at next Tuesday’s meeting.

“Principal Rojas has resigned from his position at Emerald High School. This change is effective immediately,” Funk wrote in part in his one-part message. “The district office will ensure that EHS receives appropriate administrative support for the remainder of the school year.”

Attempts to reach Rojas for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.

DUSD Communications Director Chip Dehnert said he did not have details about the reason for Rojas’ resignation. A request for a copy of the termination letter is still pending.

Rojas was hired in July 2022 from Milpitas High School, where he was also principal, and led construction at Emerald High School for two years before the Central Parkway campus opened to freshman and sophomore students for the first time in August of this year became. With other phases of construction still underway, the school is expected to welcome a new class of students each of the next two school years and reach full capacity in the 2026-27 semester.

Emerald is the district’s second comprehensive school and is funded largely by local bonds. It was built to alleviate overcrowding problems at Dublin High School and address inequality concerns for students and families in the city’s expanding east side.

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