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Every student works to achieve grade level standards, feels safe and is supported to realize individual success.

Meet Our Principal

Mrs. Rene Knapp

While Rene is proud to have spent the last 20 years of her career here in Manteca Unified, she was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended Missouri’s Truman State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Development as well as a Master of Arts in Education degree in Elementary Education.

Rene started teaching at the elementary level in St. Louis in 1997 before moving to Reno, Nevada in 1999. She moved to California and joined the MUSD team in 2002, where she taught at the junior high level until 2011. In 2011, she was hired as a District program coordinator and began her career as an administrator in 2012. Rene has served as the principal of French Camp Elementary School since 2018.

MUSD’s vision is for every student to work to achieve grade level standards, feel safe and be supported to realize individual success. Rene’s goals for French Camp Elementary reflect this vision. She is focusing on closing the achievement gap in English Language Arts and Math, reducing chronic absenteeism, and increasing literacy for all students regardless of socio-economic status, English Learner level, or specialized learning need.

Rene and her family reside in Calaveras County where they enjoy the many opportunities that small-town living provides for getting outside, including gardening, raising animals, and fishing. In her spare time, she also enjoys reading and watching sports.


I believe that every child can learn and we, as a community, facilitate that learning through targeted actions, positive attitudes, and responsible decision-making.