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Bishop David Toups is pleased to announce new principals at two of the local Catholic schools before the start of the 2022-23 academic year.

Juan Davila is the interim principal at St. Mary Catholic School in Orange, and Patricia Rios is now the principal at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Port Arthur.

Davila received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 2006 and a master’s from Lamar University in 2013. He has worked as a tutoring coordinator, teacher’s assistant, supplemental instructor and a graduate assistant focused on providing services for students with disabilities.

After graduate school, he began working at a local children’s advocacy center, where he educated and advocated for the families and child victims of abuse. He then went on to work as the Program Development Director at Mental Health America, a local nonprofit that focused on community mental health needs.

He attended St. Anne Catholic School in Beaumont and is an alumnus of Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School.

Davila considers himself to be the first student of St. Mary School with a humble mind and heart, remembering people can always improve and grow and that he will never know everything, district officials reported.

Rios has taught for almost two decades in the local public schools. She received a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2006 and her master’s degree in Administration in 2017, both from Lamar University.

She began her career at Travis Elementary in Port Arthur, then moved to Fletcher Elementary in Beaumont, where she taught bilingual students. Rios has also written curriculum as well as created and translated district exams.

She is excited, energetic and ready to share her expertise and learn from her staff, students and families, district officials said.