Principal Hired for Early College H.S.

Early College High School Principal Don Lorett

The Four Corners Educational Council for Student Success welcomes Don Lorett to his new role as principal of the Early College High School. 

The Four Corners Educational Council for Student Success welcomes Don Lorett to his new role as principal of the Early College High School. 

The Council is comprised of Aztec, Bloomfield, and Farmington School Districts and San Juan College. The group selected Lorett for his educational and career experiences and skills that have prepared him for the challenge of planning and opening an early college high school. In selecting Lorett for the position, the council also acknowledged Lorett’s strong relationship with students and the community.

For the past 31 years, Lorett has been a respected educator and administrative leader in the Four Corners area and throughout the state. He has served as a successful coach and has been recognized statewide in his leadership role as Athletic Director. He moves from his current position as Assistant Principal at Farmington High School and will begin an immediate transition to his new role. Lorett earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education from Judson Baptist College in Portland, Oregon in 1984, and earned his Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from New Mexico Highlands University in 2003.

“I am excited to be a part of the foundation for the Early College High School that will provide students with a unique opportunity to earn a high school diploma and associate’s degree simultaneously,” Lorett said. “I look forward to working with the students, staff, each of the school districts, and San Juan College in this new endeavor.”

The Early College High School is scheduled to open in the fall of  2016 with an incoming freshmen class of 40 students from the Farmington, Aztec, and Bloomfield communities. Lorett will continue to be a Farmington Municipal Schools employee. The high school will be housed at San Juan College’s Farmington campus.

The Early College High School received funding in the amount of $349,000 from the New Mexico Public Education Department for a planning year. The funds will be utilized to hire four staff (principal, administrative assistant, counselor, and college liaison), as well as providing professional development and deploying a student recruitment process.

More from Local News

  • Update: Driver Cited for Street Racing (video)

    The driver of the red Toyota Supra, 22-year-old Kalynn Kenworthy, was charged with racing on highways. Kenworthy has an extensive history of traffic violations, including citations for racing in August 2025 and in 2023, as well as more than seven speeding citations within the past four years, each averaging more than 15 mph over the posted speed limit. Additional charges are pending against the driver of the white passenger car.

  • Dineh Benally Pleads Guilty to Charges from Illegal Marijuana Farms

    According to court documents, from approximately January 2018 to November 2020, Benally, 48, and his co-conspirators established over 30 farms, covering more than 400 acres, on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. To fund this illegal enterprise, Benally and a co-conspirator traveled to California and created front companies to solicit Chinese investors. These investors were charged cash fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for counterfeit cannabis cultivation licenses.

  • Three Injured in Farmington Shooting, Suspect Arrested

    It was discovered that several individuals had been injured. A juvenile sustained a graze wound, a 16-year-old was shot in the leg, and an 18-year-old was shot in the chest and transported to Albuquerque in critical condition. The vehicle involved in the crash is connected to the shooter. At this time, the shooter has been identified as an 18-year-old male.

  • Woman Injured in Shooting, Suspect Arrested

    As three individuals tried to leave a party, a male subject began shooting, unintentionally striking the vehicle and, subsequently, a passenger inside the vehicle. The passenger was transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center and later transported to UNM in Albuquerque, where she is awake and in stable condition.

  • Arrest Made in Fatal Hit & Run

    Using multiple means of evidence, the driver was identified as Alvin Paul who was driving a 2003 white Chevrolet when he veered off the road, hitting Shirley. Paul did not stop or report the crash and surveillance footage from a nearby business proved Paul as the driver. He later admitted to operating the vehicle carelessly.  At the time of the crash, Paul’s driver’s license was revoked from a prior DWI arrests. He has two prior DWI convictions and is currently on probation for the second DWI.

  • Candidates File for Municipal Elections

    Candidates filed for municipal elections today. Elections will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

On KSJE Now:

Today's Weather

  • Farmington, NM

    Thundery shower

    High: 84°F | Low: 57°F

  • Durango, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 73°F | Low: 48°F

  • Shiprock, NM

    Thundery shower

    High: 88°F | Low: 55°F

  • Cortez, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 84°F | Low: 54°F

  • Santa Fe, NM

    Thundery shower

    High: 68°F | Low: 48°F