Educator switching districts

PROVO — Jose Enriquez, popular assistant principal at Provo High School and Hispanic community leader, will take a job next year at Mountain View High in Orem.

Enriquez, 31, will leave Provo High after working as an assistant principal at Utah County's most ethnically diverse high school for three years.

Enriquez said Alpine School District offered him a higher salary.

"Provo gave me everything, and there was no reason not to stay there, but when you're a young family, obviously you're going to (want more salary)," Enriquez said. "Also, upward movement will be easier in Alpine because there's more high schools and junior highs."

Enriquez declined to give actual salary figures.

John Spencer, Alpine District's administrator over human resources, said the base salary for assistant principals at Alpine high schools ranges from $60,000 to $70,400. Assistant principals can earn an additional $2,979 if they oversee student activities.

They also are given extra money depending on the size of the schools, ranging from $1,193 for schools with 1,500 students and up to $1,787 for schools with 2,100 students or more.

In October, Mountain View High's enrollment was 1,452 students.

In Provo School District, assistant principals at high schools earn $54,080. They make $2,500 extra if they oversee activities and up to $2,500 for additional university credit hours beyond a master's degree, said Bob Gentry, Provo School District's personnel director.

Gentry expected next year's base salary to increase by about 10 percent.

Enriquez is working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Brigham Young University and dreams of being a principal and perhaps a superintendent of a school district.

"It's a huge loss for us because Jose has done such a good job reaching out to the Hispanic families," said Greg Hudnall, Provo District's student services director.

About 25 percent of Provo High students are Hispanic. About 23 percent of Mountain View High's students are Hispanic.

Both schools are expected to become more ethnically diverse in coming years.

During his time at Provo High, Enriquez established the Latino Leadership Conference, a daylong event each spring for high school students in central Utah to learn about opportunities to attend college, the benefits of graduating from high school, and pride in the cultures of Central and South America.