Tremayne Wickliffe and Maria Guerra have been named as the 2025-26 La Porte ISD Principals of the Year for secondary and elementary, respectively. 

 Wickliffe is principal of The Academy of Viola DeWalt High School; Guerra is principal at Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary School.  District administrators select honorees based on several criteria, including a multitude of attributes that contribute to staff and student success.

Region 4 ESC will honor Wickliffe and Guerra, among other Greater Houston principals, at a luncheon later this year.    

Tremayne Wickliffe
Tremayne Wickliffe joined La Porte ISD in July 2023 after serving in Alief ISD. He is principal of the Academy of Viola DeWalt High School, where he is leading increased enrollment and graduation rates. Under his leadership at DeWalt, students now participate in the ACE and dual credit, and he additionally established the school's Corporate Walk initiative, which exposes students to different career opportunities. Tremayne is also the district's Director of Alternative Education & Student Services, and serves as the district's Safety and Compliance Officer, helping La Porte ISD become the first Texas district to earn Region 4 safety and security certification. 

Maria Guerra Maria Guerra became principal of Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary School in July 2023, and since then, the school has been honored by U.S, News & World Report and Educational Results Partnership multiple times as being among the best schools in Texas and the U.S. Rizzuto is currently an A-rated campus under her leadership. Having previously served as a bilingual principal in Houston ISD, Maria was instrumental in ushering in the district's bilingual program, which includes more than 260 students, to her campus for the 2025-2026 school year.
 

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