The Utah Association of Secondary School Principals gives the Principal of the Year Award to one principal in each state every year. They must be nominated by a student, teacher or other staff.
Park City High School Principal Roger Arbabi was surprised with Utah’s High School Principal award this year.
Rhonda Bromley with the Utah Association of Secondary Principals made the announcement. She said Arbabi received multiple anonymous nominations this year and was also up for the award last year.
“You can see just this morning, how much people love and appreciate Mr. Arbabi, and so it would be fun to think it could have been anybody in this room,” Bromley said.
Once nominations were in, the association interviewed faculty members and gathered information about the school. Bromley said Arbabi’s focus on students stood out, especially first-generation students who make up about 20% of the school. She said he prioritizes helping students go on to higher education.
“You've got students here at all different levels," Bromley said. "And it doesn't matter what level the student is at, where they come from, what their background is, he wants them all to be successful.”
Bromley said another important aspect was Arbabi’s involvement in the community. He was recently honored by the Park City Police Department for his dedication to student safety and partnership with law enforcement.
After students and staff presented the award, Arbabi was quick to acknowledge the hard work of other district staff who make Park City High School great.
“An amazing school is the work of a lot of lot of people, everybody from the bus drivers to the custodians to the lunch staff, and being able to work with these guys on a daily basis is really an honor,” he said.
Arbabi will be honored at a Utah State Board of Education conference at the end of January.
