Following a month-long search, the Poway Unified School District (PUSD) has approved Katie Bendix as Westview’s new principal. She was appointed during the closed session of the May 14 board meeting and will begin her position starting the 2026-2027 school year.
Bendix said she hopes to promote campus unity to best prepare students for their future.
“I want every student to feel connected, not only to their own club, activity, or program, but to the campus as a whole,” she said. “I want students to feel happy coming to school, to feel known, and to feel like their voice matters. High school is about preparing students not only for college, but for careers and citizenship. Not everyone goes to college, but everyone is going to have a future and a place in the world.”
Bendix is currently serving in her third year as principal of Deer Canyon Elementary School. She began her career in education 14 years ago as a math teacher in Ohio.
Quickly though, Bendix stepped into administrative roles, serving as assistant principal at San Dieguito Academy and La Costa Canyon High School for seven years combined.
Despite enjoying her time at Deer Canyon, Bendix said she looks forward to her transition to high school, since that’s where she has spent the vast majority of her time–both as a teacher and assistant principal.
“In PUSD, many people know me only as an elementary principal because that’s been my experience here,” she said. “I’m excited to return to the high school level, where I really feel the student relationships resonate with me.
Bendix said she valued her time in elementary education because it gave her a broader understanding of her own skills, and of the full K-12 system. She said that her strengths lay in authenticity and transparency, helping her foster a strong culture within schools.
“Moving into elementary education pushed me into a space I was unfamiliar with, so I had to relearn parts of myself professionally,” she said. “On the adult side, I’m a culture-builder and a team-builder. On the student side, I connect well with students and work hard to turn those relationships and conversations into actionable outcomes. Operationally, my experience as an assistant principal also gave me a strong understanding of how high schools function and how to support efficient systems and teams.”
For her first year at Westview, Bendix said she will prioritize getting to know the school and its people so she can best support staff, students, and programs.
“My first goal is really to listen and learn, to understand the history, traditions, successes, and needs of the Westview community,” she said. “Relationship building is very important to me, so I want to establish trust with students, staff, and families. I want people to know they can come to me openly and trust that I’ll follow through. I also want to understand where Westview is already thriving and where my strengths can help support growth, both academically and across extracurricular programs.”
In the face of a quickly evolving AI landscape, Bendix said her philosophy is to approach student AI usage with safety in mind.
“I’m not afraid of AI,” she said. “Even at the elementary level, we’re beginning to expose students to AI in very guided, supervised ways because this technology is clearly becoming part of the future. Students need to understand both the opportunities and the risks.”
Bendix said she wants to prioritize a sense of belonging within the school.
“Ultimately, I want every student to feel connected, not only to their own club, activity, or program, but to the campus as a whole,” she said. “I want students to feel happy coming to school, to feel known, and to feel like their voice matters.”
