Written by Ella Fortine, Editor
Poly’s new principal is full of Poly Pride, and so much more.
Steven Ybarra is leading Poly as its new principal in the 2026-27 school year, and beyond. He has had an exciting first month of school, getting to know just what makes Poly special and how best to lead its students.
Principal Ybarra is committed to representing Poly to the community “with a heart of service,” in a way that respects the people, both our students and staff, who come on campus every day. He believes that, through service, that respect can be communicated to the broader community. That community can then take true pride in Poly.
As someone who has a recent first impression of Poly and its campus, Principal Ybarra hopes to make Poly’s families’ first impressions of Poly the best they can be. This means taking pride in an already beautiful campus by showing particular care to cleaning up after lunch, doing the little things to make the campus representative of Poly’s values as a school.
Hoping to respect and honor Poly’s traditions and systems, Ybarra professes that “there’s so many great things already happening that I just want to observe,” in order to be able to ask questions about how we can create more mutual respect and reinforce the PRIDE values.
Mutual respect on campus is important to Mr. Ybarra, who after years of serving as administration at other high schools, recognizes the importance of appreciating everyone in the community and their uniqueness. “We all bring different needs,” he attests, “We all bring different dreams and aspirations.” Since there is such diversity in Poly’s community, and the students and staff spend so much time on campus, Mr. Ybarra is centered on creating a space that takes care of that community and makes them feel at home.
He hopes that students understand that in order to make the school feel like a home, rules and policies may be enacted that, while some students dislike them, they are done with the well-being of the school community in mind. Rules aren’t made to punish students, but rather to foster mutual support and a space that benefits everyone.
The work and care Poly students put in to succeed on campus and make the school a community inspires Principal Ybarra, who is able to witness the futures that students build for themselves through their hard work and dedication. This inspiration has built on the motivation to serve that Mr. Ybarra gained from interactions with educators in his youth, such as his junior year U.S. History teacher, and a former principal that mentored him even through college.
Mr. Ybarra hopes that he can provide that kind of support and service to all students on Poly’s campus, especially those that may struggle academically or socially. He wants to honor the robust programs that are already in place, working with parents to increase awareness of the support that can be provided by the counselors and the Wellness Center.
As we head deeper into the first semester, Mr. Ybarra is excited to experience Poly life as an administrator for the first time. He is especially excited about Homecoming—the parade, carnival, game, dance and all. He is also eager to collect even more Poly themed shoes and swag to show off his Poly Pride!