Is San Joaquin Memorial hiring a school principal? Here’s what Fresno bishop says
The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno says San Joaquin Memorial High School is likely to stick with its current leadership structure, in which two administrators handle the traditional responsibilities of a school principal.
For the past year, two administrators have led operations at Fresno’s sole Catholic high school following the departure of the school’s longtime principal. A Diocese spokesperson last year described it as an “interim, expanded and distributed leadership model” and said the Diocese of Fresno, which oversees the Fresno Catholic School System, would reevaluate it at a later time.
In a recent interview with The Bee, Bishop Joseph V. Brennan said the two-leader structure — including the titles and job descriptions of its lead administrators — will remain the same moving forward.
San Joaquin Memorial is led by administrators Rachael Rosas and Luis Flores. Flores has worked at the school since 2022, and Rosas appears to be new to San Joaquin Memorial, though she began working for the Diocese in 2018.
Chandler Marquez, a Diocese spokesperson, said a third faculty member overseeing finances would help lead the school. However, as of April, San Joaquin Memorial has no listed Director of Finance on its website. In August, Marquez said the role’s responsibilities were being overseen by the business manager.
According to the California Department of Education’s school directory, Rosas is currently the principal for Holy Cross Junior High in Fresno, as well.
Brennan said the Diocese is still searching for a president to oversee the Fresno Catholic School System. The position has been vacant since last spring.
The president will report directly to Joan Bouchard, superintendent of the Diocese of Fresno, which covers 21 schools in eight counties.
“We are currently working on that as we speak; interviews have been set up. I will be part of that process, along with a small search committee. So hopefully that will be resolved very soon. I hope,” Brennan said.
San Joaquin Memorial unveiled its new leadership structure following the departure of several top administrators at the high school. Former staff, speaking to The Bee under condition of anonymity, said some parents and board members were behind the restructuring in an attempt to gain more power and influence.
According to a draft accreditation report obtained by The Bee, based on visits from the Western Catholic Educational Association last March, the organization observed a rift between school leaders and the governing board.
“Based on interviews and observations, there exists a misunderstanding as to the role of the governing body and leadership in relationship to policy and operations, which has led to the governing body and leadership seemingly working independently of one another,” the draft accreditation report reads.
Asked to comment on the recent staff shakeup at San Joaquin Memorial, Brennan said, “Personnel come and go and HR issues rise and fall, and that’s probably all I should say about that because of potential litigation between the parties involved.”
This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Is San Joaquin Memorial hiring a school principal? Here’s what Fresno bishop says."
