Aspen Elementary principal named New Mexico's 2026 distinguished leader

Aspen Elementary School Principal Liz Janusz has been named New Mexico’s 2026 National Distinguished Principal, a statewide honor that puts one of Los Alamos Public Schools’ most visible leaders on a larger stage while drawing attention to the school she leads at 2182 33rd Street.

The New Mexico Association of Elementary School Principals announced the recognition on May 29. The National Association of Elementary School Principals says its Distinguished Principal program, established in 1984, honors elementary and middle-level principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character and climate. Janusz now joins that statewide group heading into a national recognition cycle tied to NAESP.

For Los Alamos families, the award lands as more than a ceremonial nod. It points to the kind of leadership that shapes the daily experience inside an elementary school, from academic expectations and student support to parent communication and staff morale. Aspen’s mission says the school exists to provide each student with quality instruction and rich learning experiences that prepare them for tomorrow’s opportunities, and Janusz’s recognition suggests that message is being carried into the building in a way colleagues and families have noticed.

Janusz has been part of the Aspen story for several years. She was selected as the school’s principal in 2023 after moving to Los Alamos in 2021. At that time, she was described as a leader with a strong commitment to students and teachers. Her academic background includes degrees in elementary education, reading and educational leadership, including a master’s degree in reading from Roosevelt University.

Aspen Elementary is a PK-6 public school with 444 students, according to U.S. News, which ranks it No. 16 among New Mexico elementary schools. The school’s current leadership team also includes Assistant Principal Shannon Trujillo. In a district with seven schools serving Los Alamos and White Rock, strong principal leadership can have an outsized effect on classroom stability, school culture and how families experience the system day to day.

NAESP materials say Janusz will travel to Washington, D.C., in October 2026 for a two-day recognition event and ceremony. The honor gives Los Alamos Public Schools a rare statewide spotlight and reinforces Aspen Elementary as one of the county’s core institutions, where leadership is judged not by ceremony but by what students and parents see every morning at the school doors.