A constant figure in the hallways at lunch. A recognizable voice at every assembly. A leader who, through certain less-than-easy moments, has allowed the Ocean Lakes community as a whole not only to continue to flourish but to keep building great traditions. Dr. Claire LeBlanc, who plans to retire at the end of the 2024-2025 school year, has been all of those things.
Since beginning her tenure in 2016, LeBlanc has been a beacon of consistency amidst a fair share of turmoil in schools across the country.
“Dr. LeBlanc has always set high standards, supported professional development opportunities for staff and encouraged data-driven instruction to improve outcomes,” assistant principal James Imbriale said. “Moreover, we’re also committed to fostering inclusivity, intervention programs for struggling students, a robust work experience program and the creation of a collaborative, professional work environment.
One of LeBlanc’s biggest tasks as principal has been fostering academic growth within both the Math and Science Academy (MSA) and the rest of the school.
“She’s always been top-shelf in my eyes, not just for the academy but for all students,” biology teacher Jeremy Schratweiser said. “It’s hard to point out specific things, since she does so much, but her support of our biology field trip each year is a great example of this.”
Success in the classroom at Ocean Lakes isn’t limited to just the MSA either. Diligence and work ethic are traits represented by the school community under LeBlanc, where Ocean Lakes students consistently perform well above city and state averages for testing and academic achievement.
As a former state championship-winning, multi-sport coach, LeBlanc is no stranger to athletic victory. One of her biggest achievements has been being a steward to Dolphins on the field, court and diamond. This spring, the Dolphin baseball team won their second regional title in a row, the boys and girls tennis teams are headed to states and both soccer teams at Ocean Lakes had excellent seasons as well.
“Being a longtime coach has taught me the importance of preparation, adaptability and building strong relationships, lessons that have served me well as a principal,” LeBlanc said. “Whether on the court or in a school, it’s about bringing out the best in others.”
Similarly, this is an idea echoed on the opposite end of the building by longtime chorus teacher and music department chair William Boardman, who praises LeBlanc’s commitment to all areas of the school.
“It starts with the classes, and she’s enabled us to structure our classes the way we see fit,” Boardman said. “Even more importantly, she shows up for us; I don’t know how many building principals are at every performance, but it’s huge, and it shows students that she really cares about what they’re achieving.”
There is a common emphasis at OL that dissuades students from being “PSPs,” which stands for “parking lot-school-parking lot students.” Throughout her time at OL, LeBlanc has worked closely with groups like the SCA to put on great school events, assemblies and foster widespread extracurricular engagement.
“As a longtime member of SCA, Dr. LeBlanc has always made sure we have all the tools we need in order to succeed,” SCA Vice President Anna Brown said. “Dolphins will certainly miss having her around, but the things she’s enabled us to achieve have lasting impacts.”
Most importantly, Ocean Lakes and LeBlanc pride themselves on having school spirit like no other high school in the area.
“One of my fondest and most powerful memories from Ocean Lakes is when Yogi Booth revived the ‘I Am Somebody’ tradition,” LeBlanc said. “It is a beautiful reminder of the pride, unity and spirit that define our school; moments like that leave a lasting impact and truly capture what makes Ocean Lakes so special.
Students are proud to be and have been Dolphins, regardless of whether they were in the theatre company or on the football team.
“Dr. LeBlanc really puts in effort to increase school pride by really valuing our input and putting it into action,” principal’s student advisory board member Nupur Mehta said. “The students reciprocate this by always contributing to the culture at Ocean Lakes.”
So, the question becomes: What is next for Ocean Lakes? There is lots of talk on the matter. Nonetheless, everyone is confident that whoever succeeds LeBlanc will uphold the values she has instilled in her students.
“Dr. LeBlanc has always had a “students first” mindset; if it is good for students, we can entertain it,” Imbriale said. “Though the new principal will be walking into a sustained building, he or she will have to maintain standardized test scores with an emphasis on closing achievement gaps, maintain our high graduation rate, continue to shrink our drop-out rate and keep the building safe.”
Ocean Lakes has settled on a new principal for the 2025-26 school year. Be on the lookout for a feature on this new principal in the coming days from The Current.
As her career as a principal comes to a close, everyone wants to know what sort of legacy Dr. Claire LeBlanc hopes to leave. Though she’s a bit too humble to answer that directly, she certainly has some final takeaways from her time as a dolphin.
“I am proud of what hasn’t changed—a strong, collaborative community rooted in tradition and always centered on students. I’ve seen our school evolve thoughtfully—adapting to changing needs, discovering new ways to support students, and working together to create a more inclusive and responsive learning community,” LeBlanc said. “I’m also looking forward to discovering new ways to learn and grow—just on my schedule this time.”
