New principals named at Lantana elementary schools

Two Lantana elementary schools will have new principals when the 2022-23 school year starts in August, Denton ISD announced this week.

Sarah Critton, assistant principal of E.P. Rayzor Elementary School, has been named the school’s new principal, replacing Mary Dunlevy, who will retire at the end of this school year.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to continue serving Denton ISD,” Critton said. “For the past five years, this campus has been home to not just me, but to my own children. Mrs. Dunlevy has left a tremendous footprint on this campus, and I look forward to carrying on the legacy of leadership that our E.P. Rayzor families have come to expect and that’s one of many things that make this campus special.”

In 2008, Critton joined Denton ISD as a fourth grade teacher at W.S. Ryan Elementary. In 2014, she moved to Borman Elementary as a math specialist. In 2017, she joined the E.P. Rayzor staff as an assistant principal.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Mrs. Critton as the principal of E.P. Rayzor,” said Charlene Parham, area superintendent of academic programs for the Guyer Zone. “She is a passionate, hardworking and dedicated leader that strives to serve others. Her knowledge as an instructional leader and commitment to building capacity will support the many deeply rooted traditions within our community.”

Critton earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, and her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. Mrs. Critton and her husband reside in Lantana and they are raising two children.

Blanton Elementary Assistant Principal Landon Turrubiarte has been named the school’s new principal, according to Denton ISD. He will replace Linda Bozeman, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue learning with our staff and students at Blanton Elementary,” Turrubiarte said. “Blanton holds a special place in my heart. We have tremendous community support here and the involvement of our families makes this a unique place each and every day.”

Turrubiarte joined the district in 2009 as a middle school math teacher. In 2014, he became an administrative intern at Strickland Middle School and joined the Blanton Elementary staff a year later as an assistant principal, a role he’s held for the past seven years.

“We are delighted to have Mr. Turrubiarte serve as the principal at Blanton Elementary,” Parham said. “He is an exceptional leader who has a strong passion for student and staff success. His proven leadership and wealth of instructional knowledge will make an immediate impact within our community.”

Turrubiarte earned his bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist University and his master’s degree in educational leadership from Texas Woman’s University. He and his wife Brenda, a math teacher at Strickland Middle School, reside in Denton and are raising four children in the district.