Jeff Luna told the La Jolla Light in 2020 that he aimed to make Muirlands Middle School a “relevant” and “viable” option for education. In his final days as principal there, he believes he has fulfilled that goal.
Luna is preparing for his impending retirement after 35 years in education — the past five leading Muirlands. His official final day is Monday, June 30.
“This community … has a lot of options for our families, with private schools abundant in our area,” Luna told the Light this week. “Many years ago, when I took this on, one of my goals was to make it a viable option. I think we’ve really done that, and that’s a total tribute to our hard-working staff we have here.”
Luna was one of more than 960 San Diego Unified School District employees to opt into the district’s Supplemental Early Retirement Program, or SERP. The program, intended to prevent layoffs of younger staff , including teachers, offers longer-serving, higher-paid employees incentive payments to retire early.
Before SERP was rolled out, Luna intended to work two or three more years. But after crunching the numbers, he decided stepping away now would be best for him and his family.
As he enters his final two months at Muirlands, events like student assemblies have struck a special chord with him — including an April 15 assembly where Luna got choked up while speaking to eighth-graders.
“That part of it is emotional, when I know it’s coming to an end,” Luna said. “It’s going to be different when the opening of the school comes around next [academic] year and I’m not doing the things I’ve done for so many years.”
Luna’s tenure at Muirlands began in 2008, and he served as vice principal for over a decade. He was named principal in 2020 following Geof Martin’s retirement.
Before moving into istration, Luna taught in San Diego Unified and saw two of his three children attend Muirlands.
“It’s consumed my life,” he said. “I think to be a good leader, you have to be involved, you have to get to know your kids. I feel really blessed to get to know our students and our families.”
In 2020, SDUSD Area Superintendent Mitzi Merino met with Muirlands staff and parent groups before making a recommendation that the district appoint Luna as principal. His hiring was made official June 23, 2020, and he took the helm July 1 that year.
Luna and his team immediately were tasked with navigating and bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic. With students losing a year of in-person schooling, they had a lot of challenges to overcome, Luna said.
“The kids have lost a year of hanging out with one another and just interacting with one another,” Luna said. “So I’m very proud of the work we did and we continue to do to build community on our campus and make sure we have ed our kids as they have readjusted over the years to interact with one another in a respectable and responsible way. …
“Our top priority when we brought kids back … was to build relationships with our kids and welcome them back onto our campus and make sure we were doing everything we could to make sure they were engaged and an active participant in their education.”
Muirlands saw an upward swing in attendance this school year at a time when many California schools have struggled to regain pre-pandemic enrollment and attendance rates.
Muirlands opened with 743 students in 2024, outperforming its projection by nearly 7%. The number is almost identical to the 752 when Luna took over as principal.
During Luna’s tenure, Muirlands became one of nine San Diego Unified schools named a California Distinguished School by the state Department of Education in 2024. It also was described by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 middle school in the district. Merino called Muirlands one of the top-performing schools in SDUSD.
Luna attributed those accolades to the school’s performance on statewide assessments, progress by previously underachieving students and the campus culture.
“I believe now our community and students take pride in those accomplishments, and my hope is that who comes in behind me can keep that upward momentum going,” Luna said. “The potential of this campus and our staff has been tapped, but there’s still plenty more room for us to continue improving.”
The district announced that Brendan Simon, currently associate principal at Dana Middle School in Point Loma, will take over for Luna effective Tuesday, July 1.
As Luna prepares for the final stretch of his tenure, his peers are praising his leadership.
“Jeff has built a strong team committed to student success and well-being,” Merino said. “He recognizes the strengths of his staff, students and community and has worked closely with the Muirlands school community to ensure continuous improvement.”
Associate Principal Jennifer Nash, who ed the Muirlands staff in 2003, said she is excited for him but that his departure is “a huge loss” for the school.
“Muirlands is a unique location where we have established relationships, not only with the kids and the families but with our co-workers. It’s our home away from home,” she said.
Luna said he hopes to spend plenty of his time in retirement by the water.
“I have a couple of friends who have retired and they’re fishing partners, so I’m looking forward to being out on the water more often,” he said.
Luna also plans to cook and spend more time with his wife, Rocio, and children, Aaron, Cielo and Sam. ♦
