Lighthouse Charter School, Principal

Job Description

ORGANIZATION

Lighthouse Charter School, located in West Sacramento, California, is a K–8 public charter school operating under the River Charter Schools network. Established in 2016, Lighthouse was founded to extend the community-based, student-centered educational philosophy of Delta Elementary Charter School to the West Sacramento area. The school is dedicated to nurturing the whole child, placing a strong emphasis on music, arts, and project-based learning as integral components of its curriculum. With a diverse student body of approximately 438 students, Lighthouse fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment that promotes academic excellence, social-emotional development, and a lifelong love of learning.

To learn more about Lighthouse Charter School, please visit

JOB SUMMARY

The Principal serves as the instructional and operational leader of the school, responsible for cultivating a high-performing and student-centered learning environment. Within River Charter Schools' framework of site-based autonomy, the Principal exercises leadership in the areas of curriculum, personnel, community engagement, and campus culture. The role also involves collaboration with the centralized back office to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational efficiency across legal, fiscal, human resources, special education, technology, and other support services.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Instructional Leadership

Serve as the instructional leader, ensuring a standards-aligned curriculum and effective instructional practices that meet the diverse needs of all learners.

Lead school-wide improvement initiatives through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement planning.

Coach and evaluate teachers, using feedback cycles and observation data to support professional growth.

Foster a culture of excellence, equity, and student achievement.

Organizational Leadership

Promote a collaborative and inclusive environment among staff that empowers teacher leadership and shared decision-making.

Manage school operations including site scheduling, resource allocation, and safety procedures aligned with board policy and legal requirements.

Lead and implement site-level initiatives while ensuring alignment with River Charter Schools’ mission and vision, strategic priorities, and centralized operational standards.

Partnership with Centralized Services

Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws (including student services and charter-specific mandates).

Lead fiscally responsible planning and budgeting to support the school’s mission and goals.

Coordinate the development and ongoing management of the site budget with the Executive Director to ensure effective allocation of resources, compliance with financial policies, and alignment with organizational priorities.

Lead human resources functions—including hiring, development, evaluation, and staff relations—with a focus on building a positive school culture and fostering long-term staff retention.

Support special education delivery and compliance in partnership with the Coordinator of Special Education and centralized special education professionals.

Coordinate technology infrastructure with the Manager of Information and Technology and support instructional technology supports.

Ensure timely and accurate reporting and data submission.

Community Engagement

Serve as the primary liaison between the school and the public, including families, the Superintendent, board members, and community partners.

Support the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and foster meaningful parent involvement.

Represent the school in community events and board meetings.

Compliance and Governance

Participate as a cabinet-level member of the River Charter Schools Leadership Team, contributing to system-wide policies and initiatives.

Ensure that site operations adhere to the school’s charter, RCS policies, safety procedures, and applicable statutes and regulations.

Maintain transparency and accountability through clear communication and effective reporting.

Requirements

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal Principal candidate will have:

High emotional intelligence, sound judgement and a flexible, creative, service-oriented approach to leadership.

A proven track record of building and maintaining high expectations for student achievement in diverse communities.

Successful management experience, including experience managing change and collaborative systems and structures.

Success experience managing school-level operations.

Expertise in project-based learning.

Familiarity with best practices in special education practices, programming, and compliance.

Familiarity with the CA Charter School landscape.

Minimum Qualifications

An accomplished leader with 2-5+ years of success in a school leadership position as a school administrator, preferably a Principal.

Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s or Doctorate Degree preferred).

Hold a valid California Administrative Services Credential.

Demonstrated instructional and operational leadership experience, preferably in a charter school or site-based management setting.

Deep knowledge of state standards, best practices in pedagogy, and school improvement models.

Effective communicator and collaborator with diverse partners.

Valid California Driver’s License.

Physical Requirements

Ability to move about the campus, attend off-site meetings, and engage with the school community.

Ability to use a computer and office equipment for extended periods.

Capacity to lift moderate materials and perform duties requiring physical mobility.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $115,000 to $135,000, commensurate with experience. The benefits package includes medical, dental, 12 paid sick days, a 210-day contract, and participation in the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS). Additional details are available upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at

Lighthouse Charter School is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.

Full-time