On March 12, Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) Superintendent Phil Alvarado announced his intention to retire at the end of the school year; he’s headed the district for more than six years and has given the district nearly four decades of service.
“I have spent most of my life in this district,” Alvarado wrote in an email to district employees. “First, as a student, then with almost 38 years working here to make it the best it can be for our students and staff. My years with SMBSD have been the best years of my life, and I have loved every day of my job.”
In his email, Alvarado talked about a number of large projects that the district will be focusing on in the coming years, including implementation of Common Core state standards and Measure T-funded construction projects. He said he realized that a leadership change now would make for a more natural transition than it would if it happened in the middle of project implementation.
“Those projects are vital to the present and future success of our students, and I believe a cohesive effort is needed to ensure the best possible results. It wouldn’t be fair for a new superintendent to come in and try to pick up where I left off, nor expect success from disjointed progress,” he added.
Alvarado’s last day will be on June 30. The school board is working to recruit and hire his replacement and will be accepting applications from qualified candidates and conducting interviews over the next few months. The board is hoping to make its decision by June.
Board President Jody Oliver said in a press release that the board was saddened by the superintendent’s decision to retire but are grateful for his years of service to the district.
“He has been a humble and caring education leader,” Oliver said in the release. “As well as an outstanding role model for students and other educators. We wish Phil and his family a long, healthy, and happy retirement.”
Alvarado was born and raised in Santa Maria, attended Santa Maria-Bonita schools and Santa Maria High School. He started working at the district as a bilingual teacher’s aide in 1973 shortly after he graduated from high school. After getting a bachelor of the arts and a teaching credential from Cal Poly, he received his master’s in education from Pepperdine University, and then started working full-time for the district as a teacher at Oakley Elementary School in 1977.
“I still plan to be involved in many community organizations and activities,” Alvarado said in the release. “Retiring as superintendent doesn’t mean retiring from my commitment to the children or our community. Santa Maria will always be home.”
This article appears in Mar 19-26, 2015.
