New Woodland Hills superintendent already making big changes

Only one week into the new school year at Woodland Hills School district and the new superintendent is already making big changes.

New uniforms for school resource officers are one of many new initiatives led by James Harris. But he's also not taking things too seriously, as the some fourth-graders found out.

“They didn’t know who I was and I just show up and we are taking selfies on the bus. We’re having fun,” he said.

Harris takes over a district that has struggled with controversy and leadership issues the last couple of years.

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“The biggest surprise since I’ve been here was how positive everyone was, because what I saw outside of the area was all the negativity,” he said.

Harris is now tackling the problems plaguing the district. He saw the videos of students being mishandled by police and staff. The boys in the videos are his son’s age.

“I saw my son in those positions. That’s why I was like, ‘We can’t do this,’” he said. “Where are the men in the district? Why aren’t they stepping in? That, to me, was wrong.”

And he is already making major changes. There are two new student resource officers who trained with staff over the summer, and they will soon have new uniforms.

“It’s a different polo shirt. Less of a tactical belt,” he said.

Another big change: Harris says discipline is now back in the hands of the district.

“If you get in trouble now at the high school, you’re not going to go into the back of a squad car,” he said. “You’re going to go to the principal’s office. You’ll have detention.”

Harris has several goals this school year, but his primary one is creating a new Woodland Hills.

“Come back. It’s a different environment here,” he said. “There’s different leadership.”