Santa Maria Sun / News

Santa Maria high school superintendent leaving?

BY JEREMY THOMAS

The superintendent of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District could be vacating his post for another job at the end of the school year.

Doug Kimberly told the Sun he was on a short list of candidates for a superintendent position at an unspecified district in Southern California, though the decision hadn’t been made as of press time.

“It hasn’t been approved or official yet, nor do I have the job,” Kimberly said. “It’s a little bit ‘cart before the horse.’”

In preparation for a possible transition, however, Kimberly said the district’s Board of Trustees scheduled a special precautionary meeting for May 29 to discuss options with Leadership Associates, the private firm responsible for finding a replacement. The board planned the meeting to address the issue before school is out and the busy summer schedules kick in, Kimberly said.

Kimberly has headed the district since 2009, and came to Santa Maria from Orange County, where he was the assistant superintendent of human resources in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. He was previously a teacher and served as principal of Brea Olinda and Sonora high schools in Orange County. Kimberly’s wife and three children still reside in Southern California.