West's first day on the job was July 1, she said in an interview on July 16.

She grew up in West Texas, and said her teachers sparked her interest in education at a young age.

"I had some outstanding English teachers in high school, with really high standards, but they showed that they cared about you," she said.

West later moved to Portales, where she went to Eastern New Mexico University. West has gone from working as a teacher in Floyd, which had an estimated population of 74 according to 2008 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, to larger schools in Hobbs, where she was a high school principal and adjunct professor at the University of the Southwest, and she was also a high school principal in Ruidoso.

West has 16 years of experience in education, with 12 years in administration, she said.

"At times I miss teaching," she said. "I go into classrooms all the time … I am not in my office a great deal."

Her predecessor, Wayne Marshall, was principal from 2003 to 2009 and said one of the biggest contributions he made to the high school was simply sticking around for six years. That sense of continuity is also one of West's goals, she said.

"I really enjoy what I do," she said, "I'm not looking to retire for a very long time."

Another goal is to increase parent involvement and communication.

The high school currently has an automatic system that calls parents or guardians to inform them of their child's attendance, or lack of attendance.

There is a plan to enhance that system so it can send text messages to cell phones and send out additional calls to inform parents about a variety school events, parent advisory committee meetings, to inform them of an emergency such as a school lockdown, or send out other information, she said.

"I see it as a really good too to keep (parents) completely informed," she said.

West said that would be used in combination with e-mail, newsletters, announcements on the school Web page, and she is looking into holding a training for parents on an Internet-based program called PowerSchool used at the high school to keep track of attendance and grades.

She said she is also excited that the district is building a performing arts center at the high school, which is expected to be completed for the 2010-2011 school year. West added that she is impressed with the qualifications of the teachers at the high school and with the district's apparent ability to overcome issues with student transportation.

Even though it is part of a large district, the district is part of a rural area. That can cause issues with transporting students to and from the schools, West said.

"It seems like they really overcome it," she said.