Rio Rancho High Principal Millan Baca named New Mexico Principal of the Year

Millan Baca’s steady presence at Rio Rancho High School, from sporting events to fine arts performances, helped make him one of New Mexico’s most visible principals. The leader of the campus at 301 Loma Colorado NE was named 2026 New Mexico Principal of the Year, putting a familiar Rio Rancho name into the statewide spotlight.

The honor came through the National Association of Secondary School Principals, whose Principal of the Year program recognizes school leaders whose influence reaches beyond their own buildings. Baca received the award in Washington, D.C., after learning earlier in the year that he had been selected. The recognition mattered locally because Rio Rancho Public Schools serves more than a fourth of New Mexico’s students, giving leadership at one flagship high school broader weight across Sandoval County and beyond.

Baca has led Rio Rancho High since August 2023, when the district named him principal after Ryan Kettler moved on to become superintendent of the Los Lunas School District. In that announcement, Superintendent V. Sue Cleveland pointed to Baca’s understanding of students, the district and the community as a reason he was the right fit for the job. A 2023 Observer report also noted that Baca had already served as vice principal at Rio Rancho High and held other leadership roles in Rio Rancho Public Schools.

At Rio Rancho High, Baca’s leadership style has centered on visibility and connection. He has said administrative duties kept him from seeing students as often as he wanted, so he made a point of being present where they were most likely to see him. That approach stood out to Vice Principal Brian Belot, who credited Baca with focusing on what was best for students and said the honor matched the way he worked.

The award also lands in a district that has had to manage staffing, budgeting and broader system pressures, giving Rio Rancho Public Schools a positive headline rooted in a real campus-level story. Baca’s tenure began during a period when the school drew public attention for a cafeteria fight and a separate fake-firearm incident involving students, episodes that underscored why visible, consistent leadership mattered. His recognition now reflects more than a plaque on a wall. It points to a principal whose day-to-day decisions helped shape the tone at one of Sandoval County’s largest high schools.