IUSD selects an interim principal to lead Meadow Park Elementary School

An experienced and highly regarded educator has been named interim principal of Meadow Park Elementary School.

Laura Vlasic, who most recently served as principal of Andersen Elementary School in Newport Beach, will start on Jan. 6 and serve out the remainder of the school year, IUSD officials announced this week. To ensure a smooth transition, she’ll work closely with Robin Beacham, who was named acting principal in November as the Meadow Park community mourned the loss of Lisa Livernois.

Vlasic, who has a master’s degree in educational administration from Chapman University and a bachelor’s degree in communication from U.C. Santa Barbara, began her career in 1995 as a third-grade teacher at Mariners Elementary School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. In the years that followed, she taught at Newport-Mesa’s TeWinkle Middle School and Tijeras Creek Elementary School in the Capistrano Unified School District.

In 2001, Vlasic became an assistant principal, and in 2010 she was named principal at Andersen Elementary. Although she took a break in 2012 to enjoy time with her family, she said she was planning to return to educational leadership next fall.

“We feel very fortunate that she’s decided to return earlier than originally planned,” Superintendent IUSD Terry Walker said Wednesday.

Walker added that Vlasic “will be a great fit for Meadow Park, enabling our district to engage in a thoughtful and strategic selection process for a permanent leader this spring.”

“Our hope is to have a principal lined up in May and ready to start on July 1,” he said. “But before that happens, we will be seeking input from the Meadow Park staff and community to determine which leadership traits are most desired.”