Grants Pass School District 7 has selected a familiar face within its own ranks to lead the district’s largest and most visible campus. The announcement, made Tuesday, confirmed that longtime educator Jason Garcia will become the next principal of Grants Pass High School, assuming the role on July 1 as part of a broader leadership transition within the district.
Garcia’s appointment follows more than two decades of work in local classrooms and school administration, a career that has unfolded almost entirely within the Grants Pass school system. For many students and families in the community, his name is already closely tied to the district’s music programs and later to student services and school leadership.
Garcia began his career in Grants Pass School District 7 in 2000 after earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Oregon. Early in his teaching career he worked at multiple campuses across the district, including Lincoln Elementary School, Highland Elementary School, North Middle School, and eventually Grants Pass High School. During those years he became widely known for his work directing music programs and building competitive performance ensembles.
While serving as director of the high school band program, Garcia led students through a series of successful seasons that included championship honors and high profile performances beyond Oregon. Under his leadership, the Grants Pass High School band twice appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the most recognizable national events for marching bands and performing arts programs.
After more than a decade in the classroom, Garcia expanded his professional path into school administration. In 2011 he completed a master’s degree and later finished an administrative licensure program at Southern Oregon University, preparing him for leadership roles within the district. Over the years that followed, he moved into positions that placed him closer to the daily operations and student support systems within the secondary school environment.
Garcia served as Dean of Students at Grants Pass High School before moving into assistant principal roles at both South Middle School and Grants Pass High School. In his current position as assistant principal at the high school, he oversees counseling and student services, responsibilities that place him at the center of academic guidance, graduation planning, and support programs designed to keep students on track.
District officials indicated that his experience working across multiple grade levels and leadership roles made him a strong candidate to guide the high school through its next phase. The selection process involved a nationwide search that included feedback from staff members, students, parents, and community participants who took part in interviews and evaluation sessions.
The leadership change comes as the district prepares for a transition within its central administration as well. Current Grants Pass High School Principal Michele Napier will move into a district level role this summer after being chosen as the next Director of Secondary Education for District 7. Napier has led the high school since 2023 and will also begin her new position on July 1.
The shift places Garcia in charge of the district’s comprehensive high school at a time when school systems across Oregon continue to focus on graduation outcomes, student engagement, and expanded support services. Grants Pass High School serves one of the largest student populations in southern Oregon, drawing families from across the city and surrounding rural communities.
Garcia’s long tenure within the district means that many teachers, students, and parents already know him through earlier roles in classrooms, performance programs, and administrative leadership. District officials say that familiarity with the local community, combined with experience managing student services, played a significant role in the decision.
When Garcia steps into the principal’s office this summer, he will do so after more than twenty-five years working inside the same school system that he will now help lead. The appointment reflects a continuation of local leadership within the district, while also marking the next chapter for Grants Pass High School as the 2026–2027 school year approaches.