Meet AHA’s Acting Principal

Anthony Lovato stepped into the role at a time of need. He’s proving to be much more than just a friendly face on campus.

By Tiffany Torrez

Following a controversial drag performance at Atrisco Heritage Academy’s prom, four school administrators were put on temporary leave. Amid the chaos of an ongoing investigation that has left students and staff with many unanswered questions, AHA needed a hero.

Fortunately, we got one.

To ensure stability at the end of the 2023-24 school year for all AHA staff and students, Anthony Lovato stepped into the role of acting principal at the start of May. At this point, everyone on campus has heard of Mr. Lovato, but very few know much about him. Many teens around campus are curious to learn who he is, as both a school leader and a human being.

Lovato, a 43-year-old senior director for the APS Office of Innovation has stepped in for Atrisco Heritage Academy, hoping to push students to finish out the year strong and maintain a positive community for the school. He officially took on the role on May 2, after his boss mentioned the job opportunity to work here, at least temporarily. He gladly accepted it due to the fact that he loves working with kids and has past experience as a principal in APS. Lovato even used to work at Atrisco from 2008-2012 and coached our baseball team for four years. He says he really enjoyed coaching here because he was able to have a second family and help guide others down the right path through teaching something he is passionate about. Lovato said he never really wanted to leave in the first place but had to because he wanted to be more present for his own kids at home.

Lovato said he enjoys being back at AHA, as he’s been very welcomed by staff and students since Day 1. When asked how he feels about this job, Lovato said, “I love coming here every day and seeing how hard these students and teachers work every day. It's truly inspiring to see the dedication from everyone.” It’s clear to anyone who speaks with Lovato that he thoroughly enjoys this job and just wants to be there for everyone as much as he can. His main goal for the remainder of this school year is to make sure the seniors are ready for graduation on May 23 and help push all others through the final month of this school year, which wraps up on May 31. 

While Lovato has done a phenomenal job taking on this new role thus far, there’s much more to who he is than his career. Aside from being a caring and hardworking acting principal and APS director, Lovato is a loving husband and father. He has been married for 21 years and has two kids of his own, a 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son. His daughter is currently a freshman who is homeschooled, and his son is about to wrap up 7th grade at a private Christian school.

Interestingly, Lovato grew up here in the South Valley and attended APS schools throughout most of his education. In high school he was very passionate about baseball and got a scholarship to Colorado University. He attended the out-of-state school for a few years before returning to Albuquerque to continue playing baseball at UNM for two years. Lovato says he has had an eventful life and can't wait to see what other surprises and opportunities emerge in the years ahead. One of those possibilities could in fact be staying here at AHA. Lovato said that if he is asked to stay here, he would do so for the community. “Being here has reminded me how much I love being in a school environment and being able to help the future generation,” he said.

Lovato isn't just a man who walks around campus, but he is a hardworking and genuine individual who has devoted himself to AHA during the school’s time of need. His advice to anyone who might be struggling at this time is: “Always try to do the right thing and stay focused. We live in a crazy world, so focus on doing something important.”