Palm Springs Unified names Kim Ballard principal of new Middle College High School

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Palm Springs Unified School District has appointed veteran educator Kim Ballard as the inaugural principal of its new Middle College High School, set to open in the 2027-28 school year.

The district introduced Ballard during Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, where she briefly addressed trustees before they approved her appointment.

The Coachella Valley's first Middle College High School will be located at the new College of the Desert Palm Springs campus, giving students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credits.

Ballard has been with Palm Springs Unified since 2005, beginning as a math teacher at James Workman Middle School before moving to Rancho Mirage High School in 2013. She has served as assistant principal there since 2017, overseeing programs including AVID, Career Technical Education, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment while working to prepare students for graduation and college.

She earned an Associate of Science in Education from North Idaho College, a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho, and a master's degree in Education Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

District leaders say Ballard's student-centered approach and experience expanding academic opportunities make her well-suited to lead the new school as it prepares to welcome its first students in 2027.