Scott Wild joins Pacific Trails Middle School as new principal

Scott Wild has been named the new principal at Carmel Valley’s Pacific Trails Middle School.

Wild comes to Pacific Trails from Oak Valley Middle School in the Poway Unified School District where he served as an assistant principal for the past three years.

“Pacific Trails Middle School has a strong reputation as a school that cares for the total child,” Wild said. “I am humbled and honored to serve as principal and look forward to the opportunity to get to know the students, staff and community so that we can collectively work to meet the needs of each and every child.”

A native of State College, Penn., he attended Penn State University and comes to San Dieguito with 22 years of education experience in San Diego County.

He served in various roles within the Poway district including as an English teacher, ASB director and assistant principal at Westview High School. In the 2019-20 school year he moved to Oak Valley, as he was interested in the middle school level.

In middle school, he said there is a real opportunity to help develop the whole child: provide meaningful learning experiences, build social-emotional skills, focus on wellness, strengthen academic habits without pushing too hard too fast, and to give kids lots of opportunities to get involved in things that interest them. At the middle school level, he said: “We can still play.”

“I want to make sure we make this a good space for all students here. We want kids to be excited to come here,” said Wild, hoping every student finds something they love at school whether it’s science class or playing basketball with their friends. “My work is helping kids find their space in this school, where they feel like they belong.”

Wild replaced Mary Anne Nuskin, the founding principal of Pacific Trails who now serves as the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources.